Day 338 of 365 days.
Today was pretty bittersweet.
I actually had a great day. Steph and I drove out to West Virginia to visit Amaya. She and her roommate took us up into the mountains to hang out at a waterfall. It wasn’t really a photoshoot. More of a picnic. We took beer and chips and stuff and just hung out in the water. Had a great time. My original idea for a shot was just to take a picture of me frolicking in the water with the three girls, because really, how do you pass that up? But the waterfall itself was so engaging and awesomely powerful that I had to get a shot under it myself. When I came back to see what the camera had captured I was just amazed by how solemn and tiny I looked under all of that pressure beating down on me. I knew right then I had to use the shot.
Crazy thing about being under a waterfall. It’s quiet. I mean, it isn’t really quiet. It’s actually very noisy. But its a perfect white noise and you can’t hear anything else. There’s this great perfect roar and its like you’re all alone in the world. No problems. No stress. No anything. It’s a single perfect moment that lasts forever.
When Steph and I were about 15 minutes from home (its about a 2 hour drive), I got a call from a wrestling friend, Jason, letting me know that Jimmy Fawcett, aka Devil Bhudakahn, was found dead in his home today.
"You’re shitting me!?" that’s all I could think of to say. Not that its anything Jason would joke about, but it had to be some cruel, fucked up, evil asinine joke.
It’s not.
When Chris Benoit died a couple weeks ago, there were a lot of people who asked me "did you know him?" I didn’t. Chris Benoit was just a wrestler I admired who’s life came to a tragic, fucked up, horrible end.
Jimmy was a wrestler I admired who’s life has come to a tragic, fucked up, horrible end, but he was also about the nicest guy I’ve ever met in my entire life. We weren’t superclose friends. We didn’t keep in touch. But we would run into each other at a wrestling show here and there, or I’d see him at the mall or something like that, and rather than just a token handshake and hello, he’d always stop and ask me how my life was going and seemed honestly interested. He’d talk to me about his kids. We’d talk about comic books or movies. We’d just generally bullshit for a while. And then we’d say goodbye and not run into each other again for 6 months. But every single time we’ve ever spoken, he treated me like I was his best friend.
You’re not going to see Jimmy’s name in the newspaper. He wasn’t a big time superstar for the WWE. He was just a regular guy in Pittsburgh. He worked a regular guy job and wrestled on the weekends because he loved doing it. He was a year younger than me, was married and had 3 kids.
And now he’s gone.
I just want to go back under the waterfall.
Interestingly I like this picture better on my livejournal rss feed then here. I think the resizing really makes it easier for me to capture the grandeur of the waterfall.
And about all the rest…I’m sorry, man. I don’t have words.
@Princess Diablo: wait, its smaller on the RSS. You like it smaller then?
And thank you.
*hug* oh honey. I’m sorry that so much tragedy has been going on around you lately. I hope there are more waterfalls for you soon… and less reasons to need them.
This is really a great shot and although the other has hott chicks, I do like this one better too.
I’m very sorry to hear about your friend.
That sucks really, really, sucks.
Gorgeous photo, son.
@mickeysacks: thanks, I hope so too.
@PhotoKat: thank you and thank you.
@lrayholly: yeah and thanks
@chrismaverick: Yeah, I do. I also like it more on the cream background of my journal; the white of flickr overpowers the white of the photograph. But in livejournal (the rss feed) I can see the picture all at once and it is very visually impacting. I think it looses something (although I still like it) when I have to move my eyes to see the whole piece. Like the difference between watching a normal movie and an IMAX movie.
@Princess Diablo: ah… well one thing that sometimes helps is viewing the image on black
Sad news Mav. My condolences on the loss of your friend. Sounds like he was a decent guy.
The picture did come out very nice though.
@Travelinjim: yeah, it was and thanks.
chrismaverick: HEY! Neat! Yes, I do like it better on the black, but I also like it smaller as well. I do like the picture and don’t think you should change it, I’m just sayin’.
And you know totally know all the flickr tricks!
@Princess Diablo: that’s fair. And random things like that you just see around when other people do them.
I’m so sorry about your friend. How awful!!
The photo is beautiful. I love being under waterfalls…haven’t done that in ages.
FYI…I’m working on arranging things so the husband and I can come to Jammy Jam!!! Then we’d stay at a motel and be there for the show the next night. 🙂
I’ll be emailing you about getting details of where you are in relation to other things, etc.
@sadandbeautiful (Sarah): thank you. And I got your email. I’ll answer you later this afternoon.
I know what you mean about the white noise. I haven’t been under a waterfall in years, and even then, it wasn’t anything near that one.
As for your friend, my condolences. I’ve lost a few friends over the years, and there’s nothing like it to stop you in your tracks.
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Seen next to a fellow photo of Take a class with Dave & Dave. (?)
That’s tragic. My heart goes out to his family. It’s hard to understand these things.
Your photo is more poignant after the narrative. I love that feeling you describe.
@FadderUri: Yeah, it was a really big waterfall. I liked it a lot and will have to go back there soon. ANd thank you.
@Tojosan: thanks. I dunno. Some people say that the photo should speak for themselves, but for me I really feel like the added commentary completes the story. I dunno, maybe its just not having faith in the photo? Maybe its me being a writer at heart. In any case, that’s just how I do things.
Must have been awesome to stand there. So sorry to hear about your friend.
@d.rex: it was. Can’t wait to go back. And thank you.