If you are a healthy, financially moderately comfortable white male of a certain age living in a first world country, the chances are you have had a decent run at things.
If so, spare a thought for everyone else who is not any one or possibly even all of those things.
Something that strikes me as I spend more and more of my time around people who have to accept any form of struggle into their lives on a daily basis, is how happy they are.
A coming together of unlikely connections. The young lady from Vanuatu is effectively in exile, sent away to work and send money home to her family. The boy spends most of his time looking at the sky, with his carer and faithful Retriever as his only companions. His new friend spent the better part of the day dancing and singing with him. She was invited by the Migrant Resource Centre to share their harmony day celebrations, he was a neighbour, attracted by the event and welcomed immediately.
Adversity is life, but how much adversity and how you cope with it is your life is the measure of a person.
My wife and I live on this planet in a modest way. I drive a small, economical car, live in a modest home, don’t exceed the needs of a moderate lifestyle and hope I am not greedy or lustful of things that when taking them is hurtful to others.
She is a teacher, I am a photographer with many avenues of sharing. We have no children, but children are a big part of our lives.
I have a debt to pay, one that I have to remind myself of constantly. I have not lived through a major war, been threatened by my neighbours, my government, or people different to me and I have never been in any real risk of hunger or sleeping rough.
I give up some of my time to help enable others with the one skill set I have, photo/video. It is not much, but it is something and I do it happily. I am aware that it is a shiny veneer on the massive untold, unpaid and often unthanked work others do, but if it can make them happier and help tell their stories, that need to be told, then I am happy to do it. Sometimes it just a chance to connect.
I am also aware I am a coward, hiding in my comfort zone behind my gear and processes, but I also hope that through this one avenue, I will grow into a better person and be able to give of myself in more depth.
So many stories.
Today I will take some images of people living closer to the edge, with their loved pets and those they rely on, but I will only pretend to know what they go through, sometimes just to get to the event in the first place.
I have a debt.
It may never be paid.
I will try.