I am a Rock, I am an Island….
Is there anybody out there??
The other night, I was sifting through the 70,000+ photographs I have taken since moving to Oregon. It made me realize how important Photography is to me. It is a visual journal, as no day goes by without me taking at least one photo. By looking at that single image, I can relive that day (I won't get into the days where I take 500+ images). These photos will be my primary source of material when I write my books. Especially the dark comedy screenplay I will write about the last couple of years.
I'm glad I can look back and laugh. Most people would have thrown in the towel, but I believe so deeply in my Vision that I persevered.
I have a renewed sense of purpose, and the fires are burning hot again. So, I built this website, thanks to my newly acquired +10 business human powers, and, in doing so, made an incredible time saver. I didn't honestly think of myself as "being in business" until I returned from Alaska in the middle of June. Since I've changed my outlook, good things have happened and continue to.
I'm getting ready to become mobile, turning my Subaru Crosstrek into a “mobile home/photo/video editing/broadcast-from-anywhere” vehicle with a hard shell, rooftop tent, Solar panels, Starlink, and customized interior built by yours truly. (Donations toward the build are greatly appreciated, as are items from my Amazon wishlist.)
I also use Photography as a gateway to heighten your awareness. If you're gonna be a good nature photographer, you have to be highly aware; you need to learn how to move with the ebb and flow of the landscape.
The most important reason of all, though, is because of my father. My father has been a lifelong photographer. If you happen to be blessed to own a first-edition copy of the tracker, the photo on the front cover is straddling a creek in his camouflage shirt. It's hard to tell, but on one hand, he's holding onto a sapling, and on the other, he's holding onto a Nikon camera with a telephoto lens. Since he gave me my first camera on November 3rd, 1984, I have been hooked on nature photography. At the start of the pandemic, one day, we started sending each other photos daily, and we have scarcely missed a day since. Thanks again, Dad!
In a few weeks, I’ll leave Oregon for California to work on a documentary and connect with a community of people who are truly awake, aware, and alive. They constantly seek ways to help their community through collaboration and Caretaking. After spending years alone, I am eager to join this community project and embark on this new journey.
I've been teaching for the past 25 years, with just a one-year break and a few vacations that usually involved teaching. I miss the freedom of movement I had in the past and look forward to teaching online courses while traveling and staying in different regions for extended periods. This way, I can offer local classes at reasonable rates.
My father often describes himself as an island, focused on his vision and education, not involved in society's trenches. If he’s an island, I sometimes feel like I’m on the moon, shouting at Earth. Reading "The Martian" helped me understand my isolation over the past few years. However, I now view these years as valuable learning experiences rather than negative ones.
The challenges of being an entrepreneur and starting over twice have helped me build a foundation to carry forward my father's vision and the teachings of those who have put in the hard work. I am grateful to my father, who, despite his mysteries, continues to teach me valuable lessons.
My recent transformative experiences have revealed deeper meanings in lessons my father taught me long ago. This marks the beginning of a new chapter for me, and I couldn’t have reached this point without your support. I promise to continue guiding people back to nature, helping them reconnect with their humanity. This I vow to you all and the man on the island—someone who will ever be an enigma, yet I know all too well.
Oh! On August 18th, I’m Hosting a free 2-hour online class. Here are the details!
Much Love, Thanks, and gratitude to you all!
T3