nobody has a worse sounding alarm clock than me…..i use my cell phone (brand not to be mentioned) and this thing sounds like a chicken being choked or something like that…but, at 5am tomorrow morning i will wonder once again why in the world i don’t find something better to wake me up in the morning…just like i wonder why i have never learned how to pack a suitcase or bring the right clothing or actually any of the things you might imagine i would have totally wired by now….
in any case, i am off to london for a few days before heading home to new york….yes, i am just like everyone else who travels…it is always nice to come home no matter how much adventure i have had….after about five minutes at home however, it will suddenly dawn on me that a month on the road has meant that there will so so many "loose ends" and dead plants and unpaid bills and everyone mad at me, because i have neglected almost all of my friends and family who mean the most to me…this will all lead soonest to an article about such things….mostly about relationships and how they survive or do not survive the world of someone who leads an often nomadic life…..
the four weeks upcoming will be nothing like the four weeks past…..i have been some kind of "guide" for almost 60 students in these last weeks in italy and spain…not an excuse, but they are the reason i have "stacked" everyone else!!….i did have all student names remembered during each respective week, but i will soon forget many of them…many , of course, i will never forget because they will not let me forget… some consider themselves my students for life!! so, how could i ever let them down??
but, now i have to get really really selfish….get into my own work…bigtime….make sure things are going well for my upcoming book , "living proof" (powerhouse)…..make sure the show gets printed correctly and make arrangements for the opening on june 14 at the powerhouse arena…that sounds like tomorrow to me…because i know something will go wrong or has already gone wrong and i must try to stay calm and fix it….but, i do want this show to be "right"….for june is a big month for magnum…our 60th anniversary….magnum photog exhibits all over town, mine being one of them….nice reception coming at MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) where we were founded 60 years ago….so i have to get "on the case" and i am already late….
now , originally i was supposed to back to new york today….but my mother tells me that i have never come back on the day i said i would….hmmmm, well, i will not argue with my mother!! and i always have a truly good reason…always…..this time i have to make a stop to see my girlfriend …long overdue….remember , i said an article was upcoming on relationships?? but, am i really the right person to write it??? we all know what my girlfriend would say!!!
You can do it, I´m sure!
Know exactly what you mean.
Hope I can make it to the exhibits in june.
cheers
insightful thought , David, and i think, everyone else has some kind of same thought about all you said here … I will wait for the book to be published … wish I can get it here, in India… Regards, Sandip
Hi there David,
Like I told you before, I just love your blog so much. Thanks for these insights into your life and for sharing your thoughts with us.
Good luck with the upcoming book and exhibit. I won’t be able to make it to NY for the exhibit and Magnum celebrations, since I’ll be back in Israel and Palestine all summer, but wish you all the best and lots of fun with it.
Say hi to Laura and Tanya for me when you’re in London.
Wendy
David,
Many things to adress in your blog post.
First of all about that choked chicken. Get a cell phone which also plays Mp3’s and has an alarm that could play one of the songs as the wakeup call. I use the Nokia N73 (works well everywhere around the world).
Alternatively you could do what I did. I went on ebay and bought an old fashioned windup alarm clock from the 50’s. It will never run out of batteries and works great – imagine that. :-)
Good luck with your upcoming book and show. I only wish I would be able to get to New York to see it – the major obstacle is your upcoming blog post on how to lead a nomadic life which does not include guilt trips. :-)
Alarm clocks irritate me so much that I don’t use them at all. I’m one of those people who wake up early no matter what and never need an alarm. Strangely enough, whenever I worry that I might oversleep and setup an alarm I always wake up before it goes off.
I’ll be honest and say that I have always wondered about the personal lives of photojournalists and photographers such as yourself who travel as much as you do. While I am sure it’s an interesting life, it much be hard sometimes since photographs can’t keep you warm at night. It’s as if you sacrifice your personal life to take part in the lives of others.
I’m going to catch your show in NYC since I live in NJ – only an hour away.
Enjoy London.
Cheers!
Sherman
Hi, mister David!
Well, good to know the students-for-life stuff. Although i don’t mean to bother you anytime: i’m just pretty sure that i’m going to watch out what you have to say — and to show — for the rest of my life.
See you.
My alarm clock is my baby:) But yes, get a better cell phone David:) Motorolla RAZR:) Not a commercial LOL
sherman….i think that is true for many photographers…however, my personal life is actually quite rich…maybe unorthodox, but rich…i am blessed by 2 terrific sons and strong family ties all around and great great friends…i think our upcoming discussion on relationships and work will be one of the most revealing and interesting…cheers, david
Hola amigo, hope you are enjoying London, say hi to Laura for me. Enjoying some downtime in Miami before heading out to NG in Mexico. Be safe, talk to you next week. Abrazos.
PD What is worst than your cell phone is you screaming at 3:00am in the morning …”Raul the bus is not here”
raul….where in hell was that bus??? david
Your shuttle to the airport last time we taught in San Miguel ..the one that would not come….. the one of the priceless drive at 100 mph… the one about the Rolex in the airplane.
Welcome home Dave ………
Abrazos
raul…i knew it was that bus…just a rhetorical question….yes, how can i ever forget that drive!!! people always ask me if i do dangerous things…for sure, the most dangerous things i can remember are various cab rides to and from the airport!!! sorry to have woken you up…i can see you will never forgive me!! by the way, that driver was late because he was trying to pick up some drunk american guy coming from a wedding..he could not get out of bed…..my only pleasure was that the drunk american (a film producer he said) was more scared on the airport drive than was i…..see you soonest amigo…david
rene…
yes, i have tried the wind up alarms clocks too and do think them best..i just forgot mine this time….
and like sherman, i usually wake up before the alarm clock goes off anyway…
watch out for those guilt trips……best way to avoid that is just to not be guilty!!!
david
Thanks for the tips David.
The way I see it, everything is work in progress.
Only a couple more days and I’m off to Czech Republic for two weeks. Yipee!