We hold on to memories as if depicted in a mental photo album. Some memories are happy like marriage and the birth of children, other memories are tragic like the loss of loved ones or friends.
We may not have much control over the things our brain decides to remember, but that is the beauty of the mind.
An example of this takes me back to when I was around 10 years old. Growing up on Oahu, my parents separated at a young age. I lived with my mom during the week but the weekends were reserved for time with my dad.
I was always excited for what the weekend would bring because it promised adventures on the island and stories to take back to school on Monday.
One weekend, dad and I went out cruising from house to house visiting friends and talking story well into the night. By the time the sun set, Dad decided it was too late to drive home from our last stop of the evening in Waimanalo.
At this point it was dark, so we made up camp in the back of the VW van and settled in for the night. Unaware of my surroundings, I quickly fell into a slumber after a long day of entertainment.
In the morning, I woke up to another Hawaii morning - not expecting what was to come.
I opened the door of the VW van and was taken breathless. As if I was in a 360 degree panoramic photo, the grandeur of the Ko'olau mountains surrounded me on all sides. The vast majesty of their color, shape and size imprinted on my mind for the first time in a way I had never before experienced. The morning light cast shadows in the creases of the mountain range creating exaggerated texture and balance unlike anything I had ever seen before. I was in awe.
To this day, the Ko'olaus still remind me of that morning and the special weekends I used to spend with my dad. Each time I go out looking for a place to shoot photos, I can always count on the majestic mountain range to provide me with art you have to see to believe.