Filed under: family and friends
ingrid and eddie :: july 1, 2006
Just three years ago today Ingrid and I said our “I do”s in front of our friends and family. That day, we promised to have and to hold, to love and cherish, in sickness and health, for better or worse, etc. etc. Now, on the day of our leather anniversary, we are as committed to those vows as we were on that rainy Texas afternoon. It was a beautiful day, and Eric’s picture of us captures our feelings perfectly.
Filed under: Uncategorized
Here is a photo of my brother Eric and me in the 80s. I can’t remember exactly where we took this but I remember that Thriller shirt.
Like just about every kid my age, I thought Michael Jackson was the coolest man on the planet. I did anything I could to be like him. Thriller was amongst the first records I owned and in addition to the sleeveless fashion gem seen above, I also had a red “Beat It” jacket and, of course, a white sequenced glove. Eventually, I stopped trying to dress like the King of Pop, but, like most people, I remained a loyal (if silent) subject of his royal smoothness.
It was sad to hear about Jackson’s death yesterday. Now, the inevitable tributes and retrospective biopics have begun. Every element, the good and the bad, of Jackson’s life will be brought to light yet again. While there are certainly more important things happening in the world, it’s hard not to think about the this creative blur of a man who danced, sang, and made millions of us happy doing those things so well.
It’s hard to believe that graduation was just a week ago today. It’s harder still to believe that the program is over. The year flew by quickly thanks to great teachers, interesting classes and, more than anything else, a star-studded group of classmates. I’m thankful to have been a part of such a talented lot and I hope to keep in touch with many of these good people for years to come. I’m glad the future of higher education is left to these able hands, agile minds and compassionate hearts.
In addition to celebrating with friends, I was fortunate to have 6 family members in town for the festivities.
eddie, nick and eric
My two brothers flew in from Austin and traded in their comfortable beds for our hard floor to see their older brother graduate. This, I think, is significant, since they both love their sleep. It also isn’t insignificant to say that they are still the two “things” I miss most about Austin. Smart, easy-going, and funny, Eric and Nick always make me happy when they’re around. I thank them both for being great brothers and good friends in spite of whatever childhood torture they may have endured by me.
eddie and maggie
My 80+ year old Great Aunt Maggie made her first trip to Boston to see her nephew graduate. She and her late husband, Uncle Bob, were always there for my brothers and me. Aunt Maggie remains the most positive, cheerful, and vital person I know. At 83, Aunt Maggie gave most of us youngsters a run for our money by easily traversing the uneven streets of Cambridge in heels! I’m glad that she isn’t showing any signs of slowing down, and, I’m delighted to have her in my life.
carlos and eddie
My cousin Carlos and his two sisters have always been some of our closest (and coolest) cousins. That Carlos took time out from his busy schedule designing space treadmills in Houston is a big deal. As kids, we would read our grandpa Carlos’s National Geographics. He’d look at photos from space and I’d look at images of people in far away places. In some ways, we’re still doing a version of that. As Carlos looked up to space, I looked up to him. And, I still look up to him now.
eddie sr, eddie jr and sylvia
Mom and Dad have always provided Eric, Nick and me with their complete love and support. Dad has always instilled his unparalleled sense of justice and healthy skepticism in authority, while mom has always been the paragon of compassion and commitment to caring for others. If my brothers and I have taken just a tiny bit of these virtues from our parents, we’ll be in good shape. Beyond this, mom and dad are funny–they’ve taught us to laugh, and it was good to laugh with them all again this past week. I’m lucky to have them as parents, and I was happy to have them here last week.
ingrid and eddie
And finally, my wife Ingrid played hostess to this motley crew of Texans. She was gracious and composed, thoughtful and cheerful as always. She made the week go by without a hitch. Even in the face of 5 boys (and I include myself in this lot) living in her apartment, she kept her sincere smile. All of our guests, male and female, made a point of reminding me to thank my wife for her hospitality. And so, Thank you Ingrid for you hospitality, love and everything else.
black and white
The last post was about color. It was brief and impressionistic. I had more to say, especially about some of the great artists I mentioned, but I got distracted with thoughts about the past.
Over the past two days, I’ve been looking at old photographs and thinking about time spent at home and in far away places with strangers, friends and family. When done well, the best of these pictures capture unique moments in time–a shot of my lovely wife on my 30th birthday on a warm Austin afternoon, a summer vacation with my pensive brothers in Vienna, an aimless afternoon in Boston, and a forgotten alley in New Mexico. All of these are loaded with meaning or simple beauty.
Today, these images continue to stimulate a torrent of memories from my past. I’m glad these instants are captured forever in photos. And, as Henri Cartier-Bresson said so elegantly, photographs should satisfy the heart, the mind and the eye. I look forward to more satisfying shots, more memories, and more inspiration from moments and masters like Cartier-Bresson.
Speaking of inspiration, it’s time to lie back and reflect on a few of the many brilliant photos from the master himself.
Henri Cartier-Bresson. Hyde Park in the grey drizzle. 1937.
seeing colors
Ingrid has been busy capturing the many vibrant colors of spring on her blog. Her photos of flowers are loaded with color and life. She has nicely recorded mother nature’s elegant artistic expressions. In looking at her great snapshots, I’m reminded of some of my favorite artists who are now categorized as anything from abstract expressionists to color-field theory painters to post-painterly abstractionists. Regardless of what they’re called today, folks like Rothko, Newman, and Stella all used color in important and evocative ways.
Above (and below) I’ve posted a few photos where color steals the show. I’ve slightly tweaked the original snapshots, but, for the most part, I’ve tried to keep true to the original subject.
wall in amsterdam, 2007
a restaurant in el paso, 2008
walls at mit, 2009
a poster in spain, 2007
