Passions, Life, and Pictures

As usual I have been staying up late and getting up early. It doesn’t make much sense. But in the evenings and nights I always come up with things to do and read. Lately my two passions are to study for the GRE and research Apple solutions.

Studying for the GRE is not fun. It's monotonous. I am interested in it though. I've wanted to refresh my memory of the elementary subjects of English, grammar, algebra, geometry, etc. It's funny how the basics slip by.

I am getting more and more interested in creativity inspired projects. Writing this blog is one thing. Taking photographs is another. Getting my digital camera was one of the best purchases I ever made. It has been fun to be better at taking pictures. Finding the right angles, lighting, settings is all part of the creativity of it. It also involves technology which is what I am centrally the most interested in. Also, there is something interesting about a photograph. It's a permanent record of a split-second in time. I often find my memory of events fades a little with time. Photographs don't fade like memories.

My mother has an old photograph of my grandfather when he was a baby. It's old, a little faded, but the image is there. It's amazing! Sometimes I feel like I forget what my grandfather looked like. Seeing photos of him helps bring him back to life.

Recently I've been to Yale, Harvard, Boston, Hawaii, New York, Connecticut, Vermont , several vineyards, skiing, hiking, and fishing. I have photos of each place. I am the annoying tourist who takes a picture of everything that interests me. I usually take around 200 pictures per trip. And less than 50% of those I end up displaying for others to see. I am not a professional, so I rely on a little luck and the odds in the large number of pictures to get good shots.

"Making the world a better place is pretty much the only thing that's worth anyone's time." - Tim O'Reilly, Founder and CEO of O'Reilly Media

What am I here for? Am I here to make money? Is that what this life is for?

I always felt that a life without risk is a life without purpose. That's a tall statement of course. But I do believe it. I look at myself now and see the risks in what I do. It's important to look at your current situation and evaluate your current risks, and if you can see any risks in your future. It's an analogy to the driving tip. When I was learning to drive, the driving instructor told me to always keep an eye on what's in front and behind you. Always search for potential hazards. This is the same metaphor for life. You always have to keep a lookout for risks. If you find that you have none, then well, I guess you never left your house. You neither lost nor gained.

I am here to take risks.

You have to have some money. Money feeds you, houses you, educates you, heals you, protects you, and entertains you. Money is not and end to itself. Money does not buy happiness. Life is a gift we are given. Making more money than most doesn't mean you did well with your gift. Dieing rich or poor is not the metric of your success. People don't look back at the Vanderbilt’s and Rockefellers and judge them to be people who "saved lives" or "left the world a better place". How do you want people to judge you and your family? How will you judge yourself? Is it the number on your bank statement that means more than all else? What will you think when you realize you could have done something with your intellect and your resources.

I am here to make enough money to provide for me and my family. All else is extra and better used elsewhere.

I am a software developer because I like it. I like working with computers. I like the feeling when I create something good. I find that my mind is suitable for solving these related problems. I know I am not the best, but I am confident that I am good at what I do. I am interested in learning more about improvements and different schools of thought on these.
I like to read about this subject. I read it online, in magazines, and books. I also like to read about math, history, religion, and science.

Whenever possible I like to travel to places. I like to experience and see things that are not a part of my normal life. My memory is not often as good as I would like so I take photographs of anything and everything. The act of taking photographs is also a passion of mine. It's a lot of fun to read about techniques and technology used in taking photos. It's very creative.

These are some of the things that are passionate to me. They are not static and usually change.

My life revolves around my passions. It's how I choose to leave my mark on the world. It may not be as powerful as some, but it is mine.