I never imagined I could help treat my own pain with photography. Sometimes you don't see the full picture of life until you look through that tiny viewfinder and witness the miracles the everyday world misses.
I'm extremely blessed to have about 70 of my favorite and the most meaningful photographs I’ve shot in the last nine years, on display during November at the downtown gallery of the Peoria Public Library. It was VERY hard to narrow this selection down from the thousands and thousands of images I’ve accumulated.
I’ve had the privilege of attending more than 100 camps across the country that serve the unique needs of survivors of stroke and traumatic brain injuries (TBI). At my first Retreat & Refresh Stroke Camp™ in 2008 as a volunteer, I was addicted when I picked up my camera and saw amazing moments experienced by survivors and caregivers.
The love was compelling, the laughter was contagious, and the beauty of experiencing the simplest joys in life was beyond anything I had ever experienced.
With my own long-term struggles with depression, I realized that I needed camp. Then I discovered that camp needed ME as I received endless words of gratitude and hugs because I was giving campers memories of a lifetime via my photos.
By interacting with survivors and caregivers in the informal camp setting where they can be themselves for a weekend, I learned so much about the everyday challenges of those persons with brain injuries, no matter the cause. And one of the most common is short-term memory loss. My photos became their precious memories. I was humbled beyond words.
You would never think that I’m actually an introvert by looking at a collection of “selfies” in a big purple frame (my favorite color) in the exhibit, but I am very shy in many respects.
I had picked up my camera at that first Stroke Camp because I had trouble working up the courage to talk to campers and volunteers. I didn’t want to “bother” or interrupt them, but I could do something from behind my lens. I also felt I needed a “purpose” to be there and wanted to “earn my keep.” Depression can do that to you. Sigh …
Since that first camp in Central Illinois, I’ve traveled coast-to-coast and north to south, either in my own car or driving the Stroke Camp™ equipment van. I’ve added TBI camps sponsored by Texas and Louisiana Pilot Clubs, as I’m a member of the Pilot Club of Peoria service organization.
And then there’s the kids camp I discovered in the lush green of eastern Pennsylvania, Camp Cranium, created for kids who have survived various types of brain injuries, from internal and external causes. I spend that entire week photographing real kids having real fun … and make their parents cry at the conclusion of camp when I present a video of the photos.
But no one cries more than I do, and for all the right reasons. When I see their smiles and tears of joy, all because I captured moments that help them celebrate the true meaning of life, I’m truly alive.
It’s the best and most precious medicine in the world ….
You're invited to the exhibit …
Many of these images on display during November at the downtown gallery of the
Peoria Public Library, 107 NE Monroe, come from the 89 Stroke
Camps I've attended across the country, in addition to the traumatic
brain injury camps I connected with starting in 2012.
If you're in the Central Illinois area,
please stop by to see me and the exhibit at a special reception at the
gallery in downtown Peoria from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, November 19. You'll
also find display cases filled with examples of assistive devices on
loan from Retreat & Refresh Stroke Camp.
This exhibit and reception are made possible by the generous support of sponsors FIDELITY ON CALL and SPOON RIVER HOME HEALTH.
Here are just a few samples of the many photos I've shot at camps in the last nine years that you can see at the display.
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