i’m so blessed to see another year man. bdays make me feel so appreciative not only for time, but for all the people in my life. the one text that got to me was from one of my brothers i met in college. my brother was fighting for his life in icu just a few months ago, but he made it. i’ve always known this life is fragile, but a degree of separation from death put things into perspective for me. tonight i went downtown to shoot my annual birthday self-portraits. it was a perfect spring night, with just the right amount of chill. i’d like to think that was mother nature’s way of saying happy birthday to me, because i’m a sucker for 64 degree nights. i sat at a table outside the mint observing life. there was a guy who had a tripod and a speaker shooting his own music video, there was a girl and a guy taking photos by the light-up stairs, and of course there were corporate-dressed workers recently getting off work. there won’t be many more birthdays i spend alone, so i have to take as much as i can in during those that i do. i’m a believer in self-reflection. great things come from getting to know yourself through yourself. a moment of clarity is only a moment of solitude away.
all in all, more than grateful, i’m humbled by all life has given me.
-ratha, 10:11pm, 4.22.19