Going back to the memories and moving forward.

Have you ever had a strong memory of a place and go back realizing that it’s sad to see things change?  When my daughter was 4 she only ate about 10 things and none of them was fruit or vegetables.  One day my daughter and I  tagged along for a visit to  the simple home of an orchard manager.  They were poor but the home was clean and the warm earthy smell of a pot of beans welcomed us.  The woman of the house invited us to sit at her table in the tiny kitchen and she peeled my daughter a freshly picked perfectly ripe  orange, cutting it into flower shaped slices.  I was worried that my daughter would refuse it with a grimace, not wanting to offend the kind offer.  I could hardly believe my eyes to see my daughter eating it with joy and asked for more!  Her happiness was infectious as was the sweet smell of oranges. 

 It was a wonderful memory and my daughter never forgot the little house where she discovered the wonders of freshly picked fruit.  When my daughter became a photographer, we went by and found the little house that was once filled with love and laughter had become an abandoned shack.  The screen door rattled and slammed open then shut in the wind.  There were shredded curtains, broken windows and old cabinets falling apart in the kitchen.  It made us sad but it was a lesson on memories and the reminder that you can’t always go back to what was.  

I have left this place and this town behind along with my previous business, Modern Vintage Photography.  As I create a new life on the Big Island of Hawaii, I am reminded that there are wonderful stories behind the best memories, this is why I am a photographer.  The stories behind the people and things I photograph will bring the best memories of who we are and where we have been.

Grateful for the memories,

Virginia