EPISODE 16: THE FORTUNATE ALLEGORY
allegory (noun)
1. a representation of an abstract or spiritual meaning through concrete or material forms; figurative treatment of one subject in the guise of another.
2. a symbolical narrative.
…
When my wife and I hit our 5th year anniversary, we had travelled to Nassau, Bahamas with our 2 sons and immediate family to celebrate life, special occasions and being together. It was the first time that we had travelled away from Canada with our 2 young boys (ages 4 and 2 at the time). That trip inspired me to take hundreds of pictures which I had posted for friends and extended family to share. This year, to commemorate our 6th wedding anniversary we took our travelling act to California in what is now becoming an annual trip. As a DJ who had travelled around the world even before I married and as a family man who continues to juggle the life of business person, local “wannabe” celebrity and young father, taking these trips always makes me reflect on how truly blessed I am to have such a tremendous support system. I didn’t get here myself and of all the people in the world that have helped me pave my way, it is my wife who I give the most credit to. I am so grateful and fortunate to have her and the 2 boys. I’m spoiled in a way, because I get to travel with them and STILL ply my trade during these trips! The images and narrative below will tell you about the time we spent in California – truly my home away from home. This is OUR story and we want to share it with YOU….
YYZ to LAX – M was always so excited! The boys really knew how to keep themselves busy.
FROM VENICE BEACH TO HOLLYWOOD!
(Below) Here are the ball courts from “White Men Can’t Jump” and “American History X”.
DISNEYLAND!!!!
THE STREETS OF SAN FRANSISCO
(Left) Wifey and I at the Golden Gate Bridge (insert cheezy “awwwwwws” here _______)
(Below) I found what happened in SFO so fascinating. Black Friday madness (think Boxing Day x 100) meets “OCCUPY SAN FRANSISCO”. It’s so ironic (and comical, and somewhat depressing) that on the busiest shopping day in the United States, just accross from Union Square “occupiers” were protesting big corporations, blocking traffic and making a scene. This lasted into the evening and I put myself right in the thick of it. I had to get these shots. The saddest part of this event was seeing a little girl (not much older than my 5-year old M) sitting on the street corner with her parents by her side as paramedics tried to bust through the crowd. She was in shock. Her body and brain had shut down due to the stress that the sight of the enormous crowd had put on her. I wasn’t about to snap that photo, but I can still see her pretty face in my memory. Poor thing…..
OAKLAND…. And then we partied. It was time to truly unwind after such a hectic day. November’s “Speakeasy” (http://www.speakeasyto.tumblr.com) happened inside Somar (Oakland, CA). S/O to DJ Rafael! I had such an amazing time with y’all. Oh, and shouts to Digital Underground’s DJ Fuze in the building!
We spent our last day catching up and spending time with our family at the Oakland Zoo…
(Below) When one monkey meets the next….. Q felt right at home here!
At the end of it all, this trip was all about family. There are now 3 generations of our clan, spread out across the world. For my cousin and I, it took 12 years for us to get together again. For another, 6 years. And another, over 10. We’re ‘family men’ now and I learned a lot in such a short time about how to treat my own family – tell them you love them every day (twice a day or more would be a bonus), never take any precious moments forgranted and treat every day as if it were your last with them because you never know what bumps, bruises or roadblocks in life you will go through on the way. Like last year’s trip, this one was just as epic. I’m glad I was able to share it with you.
2 OF THE 3 GENERATIONS ON DISPLAY….
I hope you enjoyed this chapter of my story. There’s still such a long way to go…
K.