It's my Birthday today, I'm 23 now.
I have a half beard, half moustache and I could probably use a haircut. Today I got to thinking, I'm only seven years away from being thirty. Now those of you who are older than me, I bet your thinking "your still young, stop complaining." Meanwhile anyone in their 20's probably just did the math to see how long until they turn 30.
 |
| Just a Young'n |
I'm not sure why but usually I can't help but feel at least a little down on my birthday. Maybe it's because I'm to old to get excited about the new toys and birthday presents I'd get from birthday parties. More likely it's because I'm counting down the years until I'm thirty, or even worse I think about the things I haven't accomplished in my life to date.
Well to tell you the truth sometimes I feel like I haven't done much, I haven't seen enough and it gets me down and makes me want to make my life more exciting.
There's been something nagging at me today, sure it's my birthday but I couldn't help think about the haircuts I've had over my life.
My mom sent me some photos for my last post and I remember thinking about how many different looks I've had. Today it I looked back on life as if it were one big blur that got me to be the person I am today, just a guy who could probably use a haircut.
 |
| That's me on the far left... |
Then I started looking a little deeper, I started recounting the past 12 months or so.
I figured since I've been in school not a lot could have happened. In the last year, I've traveled the distance between Ontario and B.C. a total of 4 times. I lived in Squamish for 3 months, photographed the Canadian National Kiteboard races, which included a number of top racers in the world. I got to photograph Weezer, Metric and a few personal favorite musicians/bands. I interviewed and wrote an article on Shad who is probably my favorite hip hop artist. I witnessed the Canucks Game 7 loss in the Stanley Cup Finals in downtown Vancouver and photographed and recorded the riots that followed that Game 7 loss. At one point I've been at my lowest and thought theres no way I can be a photographer, at another point I've been at my highest and thought I could start a business on the spot. I've even built my own website from scratch.
Then I started looking further back.
So far in my life I've been to Mexico, West/SouthWest U.S.A, Hawaii, and I've seen most of Canada. I've worked for three different landscaping/lawn care companies and I've worked collecting soil samples to test it for minerals. I've worked at Walmart (although very briefly) and I was a tech support for Windows Vista when it first came out. I've been an electrician, a forest fire fighter, and I've worked in a hostel. I've even worked at a newspaper.
I can't recount the exact details that got me to where I am, nor can I count how many times I've changed hair styles.
I'm 23 now, I'm a photojournalist.
I look back on my life and I can see how much I've accomplished and how much I've grown.
I don't know what I'll be next year or the year after that, but I'm not worried about it.
Our birthdays happen every year just like Christmas happens every year. Nothings going to stop us from getting older, and nothings going to stop us from growing.
Feel like you haven't done much?
What have you learnt in the past year?
Have you grown?
How old are you?
Whether it's three, nine, 16, 23, 30, or 60... thats a lot of years, and a lot of growth.
I've reflected on my "when" maybe it's time to reflect on yours.
Cheers ;)
Andre
Oh and check out my new website, andrelodder.com
Some more photo progression with my various choices of haircuts:
 |
| My Oma and Me |
 |
| Grade 12... what was I thinking. |
 |
| A few Christmases ago |
 |
| the most recent photo of me, (my beard has grown in since then) |