REMEMBRANCE AND RENEWAL

Today is a very special day for me because it is the anniversary of the day I officially entered the U.S. Army as a 19D Cavalry Scout (Combat Reconnaissance). It was during wartime for the U.S. and at that point in my life I felt like my life would best be used serving my country. Even though I didn't really know what to expect going into basic training, I knew I was going to become a new man and discover my potential. Growing up I wasn't very productive in terms of who I wanted to be and what I wanted to do in life. I spent a lot of my time just having fun and playing games, and I didn't really apply myself in school, just doing what I needed to do to pass. I wanted more than that. I wanted to change. I wanted adventure and yes, I wanted to be all I could be. You could also say I was inspired by military movies, such as Top Gun. I did what I could to get ready for the Army, but I could only do so much. I would have to go in and face a new world, do what's required and even above and beyond that.

I was stationed in Fort Knox, KY and for most of my tenure I drove a Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Although the training and the emotions throughout my service was challenging, it shaped me, and I enjoyed being a soldier and the results of my experiences. I enjoyed the camaraderie and operating by a code of conduct. I wanted to be a good soldier and felt I did well, although I always wondered if I could have done better. Yet I was just doing my part, however small and big that role came out to be. I was rewarded for my appearance in uniform and my area and was also a candidate for Soldier of the Month. I was also the fastest in my platoon to disassemble and reassemble a machine gun when we had that challenge given to us. The Army identifies what skills you have and they utilized my artistic skills and made me the unit artist. Toward the end of my time in the Army, they switched things up a bit and gave me other assignments such as driving a fuel tanker and spending a little time in the graphic arts department. During my short tenure on active duty I achieved the rank of Specialist (E-4) and acquired Three Army Achievement Medals and a Good Conduct Medal. I can relate to the saying: "Once a Soldier, Always a Soldier." I have so many wonderful stories of my time there and it felt good to be appreciated and rewarded for a job well done. The training and experiences are ingrained in me, as they took the old me away and built me up as a soldier. I believe it made a positive difference in my life.

I was honorably discharged and although I could have stayed in longer on active duty, I felt that I had done what I came to do. Now, instead of wearing a uniform and carrying a weapon, I'm a photographer and wear photography gear and a wield a camera and lens. After my experience in the Army and at the start of my civilian career I wondered what I would do for a career and naturally transitioned into doing administrative work, and then went into Graphic and Web Design. I worked for several years as a defense contractor and felt comfortable where I was at, but still longed for adventure. So I took up photography again and got serious about it. It's been exciting but also a lot of work. I still wonder if I might do something else for a living, but my heart always compels me to follow my passion.

My passion and love for travel have taken me to several places I've always desired to visit and there's still so much more I want to see and experience. Some time ago I visited CA and there were times when I thought I might want to live in CA or at least it was a place I just really enjoyed visiting. I became fascinated with the culture out there. I heard about this photographer named Aaron Chang and his surfing photography and subscribed to his email newsletters. Yesterday I got this subscriber email from Aaron and it started out saying "This is the most published cover photo in the history of surfing. And it almost never happened…" Then I read his blog post about it and could relate to it. You can read it here and see a video about it: http://aaronchang.com/blog/Mondragon. I also like the quote he put at the bottom of his post: “Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.” ~ Anon

So I'm encouraged to keep on, keeping on, progressing in my chosen career path and continuing to work at it. You never know when that magic moment will come and turn the tide. Stay afloat, get back up and get ready to ride.

Remembering my time in the U.S. Army, one of the best experiences of my life
and something I am proud of and continue to integrate into my life.