WCC 2017: The Memories Behind the Pictures Pt. 1

A good friend of mine read a poem to me once.
Here it is:

"I was obsessed with "picture perfect",
I searched the world inside and out,
For a single moment I could say,
Is what life's all about,

My life was viewed through lenses,
My camera a medal worn with pride,
I thought it held the moments,
That I'd always keep inside,

But looking back at photos,
I can't remember how I felt,
The noises that the world made,
Or the way the warm air smelt,

I don't remember how the day was,
If it was going good or bad,
I've just a snapshot of a moment,
That nobody even had,

So I gave away my camera,
And now use my eyes instead,
To take photos for the scrapbook,
That I've made inside my head,

I always thought my photos,
Were ways to make my moments lasts,

But you remember life much better, 
When you don't view it all through glass."

-E. H.



I gave this poem a skeptical glance and went on my way.

How could one suggest that me and my iPhone camera are not the perfect duo to capture kodiak moments in the 21st century??

But looking back on it now through the eyes of a solemnly mature and grown-up 24 year-old adult (hey that last part is true, I'm 24), I can see how it would apply to my life.

My takeaway is this.

Don't stop to take a picture and ruin the moment.

Choose the moment; the memories will be better than the pictures.


You may ask, "Why choose this kind of an intro when this blog is full of pictures?"

Just as a reminder to myself.

Pictures are just pictures.

It's the memories behind them that really matter.


This blog?



My memories.

An old suitcase crammed with them, that I do my best to lay out, sort out, and remember.

This is why I blog.


_________________________________________________________________________________


It was Halloween when we left for Fresno.

I felt like I was betraying Southwest, but flying AA straight into Fresno was so much better than driving from Sacramento.

When our pilots walked up to board the plane, I couldn't believe it. These were the youngest, coolest looking pilots I had ever seen. 

As I busied myself telling them so, my Bishop and his wife walked up behind me. 

It was looking like a Pentecostal plane. 

About 120, seated in an upper room. 

A short, uneventful flight spilled out into the Fresno airport that sunny Tuesday afternoon. 

Our hearts were light and we felt alive. It was West Coast Conference. 

Another year to make some memories. 

Never thought I'd see a John Deere in the lobby of a California airport. 

Something my older brother taught me, when choosing rental cars.

You can't walk everywhere when you're on vacation. You have to rent a car... so why not make it one that you've never driven? Sort of like test driving a car for a weekend.

Most of my family subscribes to this theory.

Caleb chose a Dodge Challenger.

My mother got an Armada which is an absolute dream to drive.

And I found myself a XTS.

We always show up early for WCC on Tuesday night. It's kinda nice to get settled before the place gets crazy with Pentecostals.

And I don't want people that know me to see how many suitcases I bring.


But there's always someone to hang with the first night.

And some of them are more happy to see us than others.

Avonlee was having NONE of it. 

We had plans for a bright beginning for our Wednesday morning. 

Out in search for a good breakfast or coffee shop, our first try smelled like day old grease so we all walked out, leaving Caleb shaking his hands and shouting "LOOK'S OK TO MEEE."

After following a cop for several city blocks and numerous specific turns, we finally found the local police precinct....and Hi-Top Coffee next-door.

There's a special air to that first day. 

Old friends trickling in, new ones popping up everywhere. 

Off to the airport to snag one more before lunch. 

Educating ourselves until Mallory arrived.

What a better welcoming present, I ask, than a stuffed minion?

If you want to know where I'll be next year on the Wednesday before WCC, mark this on your calendar. 

I'll be at Diciccos Italian Restaurant on Nees St.

Unless it's dating an ex, sometimes the most charming thing to do is to do what you did exactly a year ago, with the same people. 

That first night, Apostolic business was booming. 

I got a stop at the pre-sale event with Bro. Wakefield and his custom pens. 

And I was stoked to see Scrubs out in an official capacity. 

Good news is, by the second night, Avonlee had completely warmed up to me, and we were best of friends. 

That was worth coming to WCC right there. 

Had nothing to do with the mints.