[Leica] Loss....

[abridge at gmail.com (Adam Bridge)]

I lost a dear friend today. His name was Jack Crow4ell. (The 4 is silent.)

He had a PhD in Physics from Johns Hopkins, his undergraduate work at
Georgia Tech. He went to conservatory at Peabody. He sustained his
passion for choral music, that informed his soul about the world, the
world about his soul. H did with wonderfully complicated work in the
bowels of operating systems. He knew DEC's RT-11 inside and out,
almost as well as the folks at Digital who actually wrote the code. He
was a gentleman. He was creative. He had a love for the creative, for
language, for the world. He grew up in Mobile, Alabama and always was
a creature of the South - the very best parts of the South.

I didn't ever make his portrait. I was always so busy enjoying his
company, the joy of his existence, the belief that he would be here
forever, that I never picked up my camera and snapped an image.

Do not do this.

I so deeply regret that all the time we were making Halloween faces on
a floor-full of huge orange Halloween balloons that I never snapped
his photo. Never. He'd just be here FOREVER. I have the MEMORIES but I
cannot share those. I cannot show you the dragon pumpkin he carved
that enraptured my children so when they think of "Uncle Jack" that
amazing pumpkin is always there in the first few sentences.

Last year he had cancer and last weekend, while I was in Arizona, he
got bronchitis. My other partner from a previous life, Bob, took him
his meds (Jack lived alone) but when he didn't make his doctor's
appointment the next day, and didn't answer the phone, they sent the
police who found him.

I feel bereft. How could I have left such a wonderful human being
without an image that I made, that shares the bond between
photographer and subject/friend?

I do not know. But the emptiness inside me knows I should pass along
this deeply hurtful lesson. Please, record those around you. Let your
love and passion inform you. Do the portraits. Save them. Cherish
them.

Go forth and make good work that's personal and passionate of those
you know and love.

I have learned why and the consequences of not doing so.

Adam