Clicking Through Life
Steven pushed himself back from his desk as he sent the last reply of the day. His eyes were tiresome from reading emails and reports, his coffee stained cups adding to the clutter across his desk. The fatigue was not just physical; his heart was tired too, living a monotonous life, so predictable it could be outlined in a spreadsheet.
At 37, a successful corporate lawyer, Steven lived in the fast lane. But there was a piece of him that longed for something else.
His mind wandered back to his childhood - to the remote cabin on the edge of Winter Lake. He remembered his father, a passionate photographer. His father would always say, 'You see Steve, you can trap time in a photograph. It's a memory etched in pixels.' Steven always admired his father's passion but chose pragmatism over passion. In the race of life, he had swapped sunsets over lake for deal closures.
Then one day, out of sheer nostalgia, he dusted off his father's old camera. The triggers felt familiar to touch; the lens seemed to hold his gaze. His pulse matched the rhythm of the camera's clicks. He felt a purpose. He started exploring his city, the bustle of human life, the joy, the despair, and everything in between, through the lens of his camera. His routine work pressure started alleviating. He found his release – an outlet where he wasn't just a successful lawyer but a soul satiating its thirst to trap fleeting moments.
One photograph caught his attention. It was a candid of an older woman, her face lined with stories living in the crevices of her wrinkles. It was beautiful, and he wanted to know her story. With a newfound purpose, he tracked down the woman, learnt her name - Maria. She welcomed him with her kind heart, and soon, they grew a bond as she shared stories from her past – tales of love, loss, life.
His photographs soon changed from mere captures of a moment to narratives that told stories - stories with depth, stories that left an imprint. His photographs began to get noticed. Offers for exhibitions came rolling in. Steven couldn't believe it. He didn't anticipate his newfound hobby could attain such recognition. But there was one predicament; profession or passion?
Making that decision was harder than any of the legal cases he had ever handled. But seeing Maria's portrait on the glossy paginated catalogue of the exhibition, he knew what he had to do.
One morning, Steven woke up not to the alarms of deadlines but to the chords of freedom. He decided to pursue photography full-time. The decision was difficult, but the joy of capturing stories, weaving them in still frames, was too tempting to resist.
On the day of his first exhibition, his heart pounded, stomach fluttering with butterflies. As he stood amidst his own creation, he saw people connecting with his work. He saw how his frozen moments were melting hearts. He saw Maria, standing in front of her own portrait and tears welled up in her eyes. The exhibition was more than a success, it was the testament of Steven's decision, the courage of following his passion.
That evening, he stood at the edge of Winter Lake, the water reflecting the hues of the setting sun. As he lifted his camera to capture this magnificence, he remembered his father's words, 'Trapping time in a photograph, etching memory in pixels.'
Life had come full-circle for Steven. He did swap sunsets over lakes for deal closures. But that swap wasn't forever. Now, he had the sunsets and the overwhelming feeling of living a life where his passion was his profession. That contentment was immeasurable.
That night, reflecting with gratitude, he looked at the lake photograph, a breathtaking blend of passion and tranquillity. And he realised, sometimes, we spend so much time running behind success; we forget to live. It's important to pause, reassess and realign if required, even if it’s scary.
Because in the end, every branding fades, every car rusts, and every luxury becomes mundane. But one etched memory, one frozen moment, and one captured emotion stay for eternity, only if we allow ourselves the freedom to seek it.