by Kim
"After nourishment, shelter and companionship,
stories are the thing we need most in the world."
-Philip Pullman
We are all storytellers, all of us, in one way or another. It may be passing on family legends, or sharing our own experiences like Cathy shared with us. We use spoken words, written and with music, interpretation through art and sculptures and even with our cameras to relate these stories.
Stories help to define who we are and the world we live in and its been going on since the dawn of time. The way in which we tell these stories may change over time, but I think our purpose will always remain the same...to pass on traditions, to entertain us, and by sharing our own experiences hopefully to help us understand each other and ourselves better.
I've mentioned here before that for the past several years I've had the privilege to be on the sidelines at the high school football games. Not just to tell their story through my lens, but to be part of it.
I no longer feel like the awkward stranger on the field with a camera. The players have incorporated me into their story even though I'm not in it visually. . .with high fives and sweaty hugs, and they graciously make room for me and my lens when I need to be in just the right spot.
My goal isn't to just capture a contact sport. . .
Because football is much more than touchdowns and tackles,
much more than a win or a loss.
Football is being part of a team whether you are a player, coach, fan, the band or the dance team. And it goes without saying that it takes a whole lot of volunteers even though they may not always be seen as characters in the story.
Stories have a beginning, a middle and an end, and for a Friday night football game that relates to about 5 fast and furious hours. And trust me, divert your eyes for just a second and you will miss something spectacular (like your sons tackle.)
With 5 seconds left in the game, tied at 44 we kicked a 37 yard field goal for the win! That would be why you see one of the offensive coaches on the ground (above) tackled at the end of the game.
In the image above I combined two images to help me tell a story. The boy not in uniform is a student trainer and just recently went through treatments for leukemia. The team dedicated the game to him and wore gold laces in his honor.
I'm not sure I've ever considered myself a storyteller, either verbally or visually. But each week I find myself trying to find ways to tell the story better. New perspectives and fresh eyes to capture and relate the emotion...to tell the stories about the people I know, doing the things they love.
And I'm honored that they allow me to share in their story!
