secondhand light

After a well needed and successful breather from classes over the past month, today is the beginning of my Spring semester and my yearlong sprint towards a December graduation. Aside from the annual reruns of holiday soundtracks, television programs, mountains of sugar coma sparkly treats, and family fruitcake, I was happy to occasionally locate some quality time for my own thoughts during the academic break.

Usually with a coffee mug at my side, I spent plenty of hours during the holidays with my varied and extremely eclectic film and instant camera collection. Dating as far back as the 1930s, each of them are secondhand, left behinds, or strays and all beautiful works of art in themselves. All have their own distinct character and personality and I can only imagine the stories, celebrations, and places they've each seen. Our eclecticism seems to parallel one another perfectly, promising an exciting journey as I search for light through their viewfinders this semester.

Together, we'll have a story to tell. No fruitcake required.

sum of the day

My tendency has always been to load up my two-day weekend checklist far beyond any possibility of achievement. For whatever the reason, this weekend has been different.

Saturday offered a perfect day for relaxing. After more than seven hours of listening to vinyl records and playing with my buddies, the hour hand began to cast a shadow on the afternoon. The cold damp day affirmed my decision to still be in my flannel pjs as a second pot of coffee began brewing. Though denim was eventually exchanged for flannel, our day of comfort was well maintained into the evening.

We're in the early hours of Sunday morning and there are plenty of naps taking place all around me. Faded blue jeans and a secondhand t-shirt have committed themselves to my day's fashion statement. A stack of selected vinyl await their turn to spin goodness at 33 and a 1/3rd and my coffee cup has once again promised to stay full all day. I’m not too sure what else I could ask for, so I won’t. It’s good to be with friends.

Perhaps removing expectations can sometimes deliver the greater return.

imperfectly beautiful

polaroid100_500

I believe in second chances far more than abandonment.

Fewer days thrill me more than those where I can take something that’s been discarded, breathe new life in it, and have it resuscitate the same in me. I’m constantly surrounded by hand me downs, throwaways, secondhand left behinds, and rescues… each by choice. With their used to be past, their visibly less than perfect flaws, and their distinctive individualities, each mirror my own life perfectly.

Popularity is generally temporary fluff. The combination of uniqueness, imperfection, and originality however, will always display a sincere timeless genuine beauty.

I believe in believing.