Lamar Oliver 7/10/22 Lamar Oliver 7/10/22

WHY DO WE ALWAYS MOVE THIS STUFF?

I cannot help but wonder…if we all might be more healthy…if we quit lying to ourselves about needing to get rid of the ‘baggage’ we continually carry from place to place throughout our lives…

`Household trash at the curb awaiting weekly pickup - Vienna, LA (10JUL2022)`

YOU WOULD THINK a United Methodist minister who has itinerated all over the state of Louisiana for the last 20 years (not including a year of pre-seminary service) would have the art of moving down to a science, with maximum efficiencies and minimal waste throughout the process.

You would think.

However, you would be wrong.

One thing that ALWAYS happens when we move - ALWAYS - is we discover stuff that NEVER should have been moved TWO moves ago, much less this one. As we are going through the garage, we are finding things that simply made no sense for us to have bought, much less kept, much less moved. I have a working hypothesis that anyone who moves has a similar experience at some point in the process, complete with swearing that this will NEVER happen again.

And then, next thing you know, it happens again.

I cannot help but wonder, as I look out at the curb on this Sunday night, if we all might be more healthy in all aspects of life if we quit lying to ourselves about needing to get rid of the ‘baggage’ we continually carry from place to place throughout our lives, baggage that simply weighs us down and keeps us from fully appreciating the joys of life.

What if you and I make a deal right now to start carrying to the curb the garbage that we keep moving from place to place for no good reason at all?

Grace and Peace, Lamar

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Lamar Oliver 7/9/22 Lamar Oliver 7/9/22

THE SMALLER THE DOT…

How often do our lives get way too complicated, confusing, or painful simply because we have too much other stuff in focus…?

`Joseph @ R. L. Cook Park, Ruston, LA (09JUL2022)`

One of the purposes of my 50 Shots a Day project is to help me discover more about focusing, for I have struggled with the various focus modes on my cameras. There are at least five different focus settings, varying from auto-everything to large wide-area to pinpoint single-point. When photographing Joseph at a playground on Saturday, I was working mostly with the auto-area setting where the camera detects and tracks what it thinks is the focus of the frame. I wound up getting more and more frustrated as I wanted to capture him behind the bars shown above, but the camera kept insisting that it was the bars I wanted in focus (because the bars are closer to the camera than Joseph.)

As I was thinking through how to resolve this situation, I realized the problem I was encountering was not that I was focusing on the wrong thing. No, the problem was that I needed to go from the auto-area to the smallest possible focus area, a single sensor. For one of the only times I can remember on a playground, he actually sat still long enough for me to switch settings to get the right shot with him in focus, and nothing else.

The lesson I drew from today’s photo was not only is it important to know on what you should focus, but it is equally important to make sure you are in the right setting so that what needs to be is in focus, and nothing else.

How often do our lives get way too complicated, confusing, or painful simply because we have too much other stuff in focus, with that stuff keeping us from getting picture-perfect focus on what is most important to us in that specific time in that specific place for that specific purpose?

Grace and Peace, Lamar

Lamar Oliver 7/8/22 Lamar Oliver 7/8/22

WAIT UNTIL IT BECOMES ‘THEY-HAUL’

You’d have thought they hit the jackpot when I gave them the chance to climb in the cab of the truck when we were at the storage unit…

`The Sillies outside a self-storage facility in Ruston, LA (08JUL2022)`

20 years ago last month, I drove a U-Haul from Woodhull, NY to Kinder, LA (with a stop in Wilmore, KY.) After that cross-country trek, we swore we would NEVER do U-Haul again. Ever. (There hangs in a collage in our bedroom a picture Erin took of the back of the U-Haul which was her only view for 3-4 days - if I didn’t know better, I’d swear she to this day has a twitch when she looks at that pic.)

Today was the first time since June of 2002 I rented a U-Haul truck. This journey was not cross-country. Heck, it didn’t even involve leaving Lincoln Parish. We were simply transferring some stuff to storage as we continue getting everything situated in our new home. Anna and Joseph (a/k/a ‘The Sillies’) were so excited to climb in and out of the back of the truck before and during our loading and unloading. You’d have thought they hit the jackpot when I gave them the chance to climb in the cab of the truck when we were at the storage unit, as you can see from the picture above.

Many times the pictures I take of them are candid, for I find they make the best when it comes to capturing the essence of the life of a child. This one, though, I did pose a little, for I hope they will get a good laugh out of it years later when they help each other move in and out of dorms, apartments, etc. If, for some ungodly reason, they wind up doing this on a day where the high is 101F and the heat index is 115F, I will remind them that in their first exposure to these conditions they were all smiles and absolutely eager to get in the truck.

Going further, as I look at this picture I see the joy of now and the sentimental anticipation of the future. Don’t get me wrong - we had a few ‘discussions’ as they ‘helped’ us throughout the day, and some of those weren’t my finest hours as a dad. But at the end of a long and hot day, my emotion is one of hopeful anticipation, for these are the moments of childhood that will form what I hope is not only a lifetime of sibling love but also some great stories to share whenever family gets together.

Of course, we already know at their tender ages that Anna will be driving when ‘They-Haul’ - or at least telling Joseph how to drive…which is also part of the natural progression of the sibling relationship. (And, if nothing else, they gave their daddy a great pic!)

Grace and Peace, Lamar

Lamar Oliver 7/7/22 Lamar Oliver 7/7/22

WHAT IS ON YOUR WALL?

…[I]magine what might be possible if we took the time to explain to others what hangs on the walls of our life and in the process strengthen our bonds with the ‘other.’

`Wall Decor at a small business in West Monroe, LA (07JUL2022)`

I did not plan on a second consecutive article concerning wall decorations when considering what to feature on this entry for 07JUL2022. As I sat in a favorite bakery in downtown West Monroe, I was captivated by the decor. Nothing in particular grabbed my attention, but the whole scene got me to thinking about why were certain things chosen to hang on the walls. In the process of figuring out what kind of shots might come from this setting, I just decided to snap a few pics and see what would come out in the wash. It wasn’t until the next morning (full disclosure: I’m writing the entry for 07JUL2022 over breakfast the next day) this particular frame stood out for more unpacking.

An upright bass and a vintage poster for Delta Air Lines. What in the world might they have to do with each other and why would they be featured prominently on the wall of a small business? Well, I wish I knew. But I don’t know. And that, friends, is the thought for the day.

While it is fun to sit around and conjure up what might be the meaning behind the placement of the objects (and, who knows, the whole point of the scene might just be to give people something upon which to ponder) I cannot help but think part of the challenge of contemporary discourse in our society is that we just make a whole lot of assumptions without simply taking the time to ask those involved to help resolve any ambiguity we might have about a scene or situation.

Think about it - how often is it we deal with situations where if people had just asked us for clarification or an explanation it might have saved a lot of time and heartache on all involved? Also, imagine what might be possible if we took the time to explain to others what hangs on the walls of our life and in the process strengthen our bonds with the ‘other.’

Grace and Peace, Lamar

Lamar Oliver 7/6/22 Lamar Oliver 7/6/22

WHY EVERYONE NEEDS A WALL

I pray this not to minimize whatever might be their crisis de jour, but as a way of hope and a reminder that someone believe in and recognizes their gifts, graces, and abilities.

`Part of a living room wall featuring the art of small children. (06JUL2022)`

One of the great joys Erin and I have found in the last couple of months has been the setting aside of a portion of our living room for the children to have an ‘art area’ where they are able to use whatever medium they so choose to express themselves. As part of encouraging them to develop their love for art, we have hung various items they’ve produced here or in school. As I looked at that wall this evening, something else hit me that I cannot help but wonder might be transformative.

My hope and prayer for the children is that as they look at that wall they will not only see their hard work but also that their mother and I are proud enough of them to display their work in a prominent place where one cannot visit our home very long without seeing their gallery. While, yes, we are thankful to our friend Cindy and the wonderful folks our kids learned from during their preschool years at the Montessori School of West Monroe which produced the majority of what is on the wall, what I find most important about this display is that it shows them every day of what they are capable.

I would love to believe they will be able to go through life with the surest confidence in themselves and their abilities; the human experience tells me that will not be the case, no matter how much I wish it were so. In the inevitable days to come where they will be down on themselves for whatever reason, my prayer is they will be able to look at this wall and know somewhere that all is not lost - they have been, are, and will be capable of producing beauty that will bless others. I pray this not to minimize whatever might be their crisis de jour, but as a way of hope and a reminder that someone believe in and recognizes their gifts, graces, and abilities.

Grace and Peace, Lamar

Lamar Oliver 7/5/22 Lamar Oliver 7/5/22

IS IT REALLY CHEAPER?

…[I]t brings a smile to my face to remember the joy my dad and I had with my uncle during his last hours. For that, along with everything else I mentioned above, I can safely say that, for me, the ethanol-free fuel is definitely cheaper and a better use of the money, for the price of gas is not simply about the price on the sign.

It is amazing to see what conversations come up when you spend what everyone in the room knows are the last hours of someone’s life. Earlier this year, my father and I had that sacred time with his baby brother, my Uncle Richard. Richard was a larger-than-life personality that captivated me from the time of my earliest memories, and I treasured our time together. I will never forget the last full day dad and I had with him there in the hospital, for our discussion went to one of Richard’s passions - engines.

He was very curious about the specs of my Buick Envision’s 4-cylinder engine, especially as I told him I’d gotten 35.8 MPG from DeRidder to Houston after getting a tank of ethanol-free gas at a truck stop on the DeRidder bypass. I had known for years that ethanol-free fuel is always better for any engine, especially for small-engine equipment and boats. (One of the great things about serving in Madisonville for four years was the gas station carried nothing but ethanol-free gas due to the river.) In fact, I learned my lesson about ethanol-free gas for small engines the hard way when I had to rebuild the carburetor in a generator in the middle of a hurricane because it had gotten gummed up by ethanol-added fuel.

Where the fun came in was in how Richard, especially given his deteriorating condition, came alive to talk about compression ratios, air-to-fuel mixes, and the combustion properties of various types of fuel. When I observed that I had gotten noticeably better mileage on the exact same route when I used the ethanol-free fuel, he got a huge grin on his face. He then talked me through his findings about how he had figured out that ethanol-free not only made the engine run cleaner, but improved fuel efficiency at least 30% when used regularly.

What does this have to do with filling up in the middle of nowhere, Arkansas, on your way back home from vacation? Simple. Yes, I did pay a higher price for the ethanol-free fuel than if I had used the pump next to it (sorry, I had the idea to take the pic while filling up so I don’t have the price of the ethanol-added gas in comparison) but when calculating the cost in improved fuel mileage and leaving my engine in better condition by using cleaner gas, I figure the trade-off is worth it.

And it brings a smile to my face to remember the joy my dad and I had with my uncle during his last hours. For that, along with everything else I mentioned above, I can safely say that, for me, the ethanol-free fuel is definitely cheaper and a better use of the money, for the price of gas is not simply about the price on the sign.

Grace and Peace, Lamar

Lamar Oliver 7/4/22 Lamar Oliver 7/4/22

THE DANGERS OF EDITING

Celebrate what brings you joy, for whether or not anyone else will see it, you know what went into it, the story behind it, and how it is meaningful to you. Editing is essential in so many areas of our lives. Don’t forget, though, to not let the editing process in any way devalue you, the work you do, and/or that which you produce.

`Anna and Joseph outside Mather Lodge @ Petit Jean State Park, Arkansas. (04JUL2022)`

One of the hardest things I’ve experienced with respect to my photography has been choosing what images to share when doing a larger photo shoot, like the one I did today featuring my children and my parents. To get it down to a manageable number that friends and family will actually view as part of a Facebook photo album, I try hard to post at most 15 at any one time. For today’s album, my goal was to whittle down the images to 12. Not too bad a goal until you realize I started with 500+ shots.

When working on a project like this, I’ll ask Erin to help in the selection process, once I have weeded out the out-of-focus ones, some that just are not composed very well, and others that for whatever reason I do not believe are worthy of sharing. Tonight, I got it down to 70 for her review to help me pick the final 12. Often times, this process is like going to an eye exam, where you are asked. “A or B; B or C; C or A; etc.” By definition, the 70 I chose for her to examine were ones that I felt comfortable with, and it was hard to hear her say which ones she didn’t want posted.

Inevitably, she will have to remind me that just because we did not choose a pic to share in an album did not mean it was not a good image. After almost eight years of regular photography, you’d think I had internalized this reality. You’d think. The picture featured in today’s entry is one such example. I really liked the way they were each looking at me simultaneously (if I could get the secret to get such a thing on demand every time, I’d retire) but we had so many shots this one got left out of the album.

Why title this post, “The Dangers of Editing?” Simple. In case you have not noticed, EVERYTHING online is edited. When we get into the business of editing things in our lives, we must be caereful enough to understand that just because you choose not to share something does not mean it is not good. So, relax. Celebrate what brings you joy, for whether or not anyone else will see it, you know what went into it, the story behind it, and how it is meaningful to you.

Editing is essential in so many areas of our lives. Don’t forget, though, to not let the editing process in any way devalue you, the work you do, and/or that which you produce.

Grace and Peace,
Lamar