Being Happy with Little

"Money doesn't buy happiness". A cliche that people hear almost everytime they lament about their income. Most people I know, whether they are making $20,000 a year or $200,000 a year are unhappy with their income generating abilities. I am one of them at times.

Gibson Blues Master, Keb' Mo' signature series

Here's a recent personal experience: I bought a nice little acoustic guitar for $500, after a month, I started surfing the internet and lusting over that $3,000 Gibson. The characteristic of wanting more, not recognizing that what we have is perfectly capable of giving us happiness does all of us in. I could sign off $3,000 and be unhappy with the Gibson in a month's time. I woke up this morning wondering what the hell I am so unhappy about---my life mostly.

Here's a list of it:

1. I wish I have more disposable income to spend
2. More time to enjoy the things I bought
3. More money in my retirement funds, equals to earlier retirement

After thinking it through, I realized that "Money = Time". If you have not read Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin's book: Your Money or Your Life, I suggest you do it ASAP. In order to earn more money, I need to shoot more weddings(I'm a Photographer/Videographer for weddings). Cover one more wedding a month would bring in an addition $2,000 right? WRONG. Photographing is just one part of the job. There are other 'invisible' work required which people don't see like: spending more time marketing to a bigger audience, more time meeting clients, shooting, editing, packaging the product, etc.

So, I could spend 30 hours more per month on making that addition $2,000 or spend that time playing the $500 guitar I already have. I could spend that 30 hours on reading, traveling, shooting a personal project---fulfilling point 2 of the list of things I am unhappy about.

Simple logic, but something we all forget: "Spend less than you earn. Retire early." Frankly, I can do with less stress of  shooting weddings.

Work Hard, Play Later

I was taught to study hard, get a college education, work till retirement before enjoying myself. The more I think about it, the more flawed the logic becomes. There are stuff that you just can't do when you are down with weak bones, riddled with illnesses when you're old---that's especially when it comes to my genes. See, no one in my family lives pass 80---except my great grandmother. Plus the fact that I am a smoker greatly reduces my life on this world.

My father passed away at 60 of pancreatic cancer. Diabetes, heart diseases and cancer runs in the family. I don't expect myself to live pass 70. That leaves me with at most 37 years. On the short side, I might just have another 27 years.

That is why I want to do the things I enjoy, spend a little money traveling while I still can. That's one reason why I picked up playing the harmonica and guitar. Also, I wish to document life around me on the camera---streets, people, my family.

I try and live like today is the last I'll ever see. That's the way life should be lived.

Mississippi John Hurt

This has got nothing to do with photography. I've been a mainly Blues listenin' Asian for the most part---but not limited to just Blues music. Started on Harmonica and Guitar again; after years of only making music in the bathroom. Got started on the old-time bluesmen like: Charley Patton, Son House, Sonny Boy Williamson, Robert Johnson, Sonny Terry and Brownie Mcghee; Little Walter, etc.

One bluesman's voice gave me the goosebumps: Mississippi John Hurt.

 

If You can't view/listen to the grooveshark player embedded above, follow this link to Grooveshark.

"Raised in Avalon, Mississippi, Hurt taught himself how to play the guitar around age nine. Singing in a loud whisper, to a melodious finger-picked accompaniment,[5] he began to play local dances and parties while working as a sharecropper. He first recorded for Okeh Records in 1928, but these were commercial failures, and Hurt drifted out of the recording scene, where he continued his work as a farmer. After a man discovered a copy of one of his recordings, "Avalon Blues", which gave the location of his hometown, there became increased interest in his whereabouts. Tom Hoskins, a blues enthusiast, would be the first to locate Hurt in 1963."
--wikipedia

 By the time he was rediscovered, he was 71 years old. He died 3 years later. Such a pity, but his whisper-like, soulful voice and guitar playing really inspires me to pick the guitar up again---though I'd never be an accomplished musician, it's something I enjoy tremendously.

Mississippi John Hurt

Galaxy Nexus: Black and White of Wife

Took a picture of my wife in bed. Did not have time to bust out the 'serious' camera. I like it though.

Wife in bed

I'd Rather be Shooting

I've set up maybe 5-10 blogs over the years---on topics as varied as finance, poker, trading to photography. The interest waned over time till the blogs were neglected and died a natural death.

I'd rather make photographs than blog about some famous photographer, create a list of 10 things why you should shoot film/digital, etc. There's way too much noise out there from blogger photogs---writing an article a day without much content, other than to market their pointless workshops---on how to hold a damn camera when street shooting.

I'll post when I have something to say. You're welcomed not to subscribe, read or look at my pictures. Better to be true and have 1 reader, than come across as a marketeer that makes mediocre photographs and gives useless workshops.