I consider myself a visual person. Visual in the sense that I tend to learn based on sight, teach using visuals rather than text, and memorize based on images.
That probably explains why there are nearly 15,000 photos saved on my phone.
I don’t have a fancy camera, as my iPhone fits the bill just fine.
I don’t have photographic skills to make a picture go from blah to stunning – there’s Instagram for that.
None of my photos would ever win me an award and I’m cool with that.
My photos serve as a timeline of events – good or bad. I wish that there were photos of my early years in business that I could call up to reminisce, but cameras back then required film, developing, and patience.
I often go through my camera roll on my phone when I think of something in the past to see if there was a photo connected to that memory. Most of the times there are. It could be something as simple as a picture of a half-eaten burger or a freshly poured Manhattan.
Upon seeing that image, the memory of the event comes back as if it just happened.
This morning I was going through my camera roll once again and an image struck me. It was a photo I took on October 17, 2018 in Puerto Rico, on Calle Fortaleza in front of the Governor’s Mansion in Old San Juan to be exact.
It’s a picture of an art installation called “Paseo de Sombrillas.” It’s dozens of brightly colored umbrellas that appear to be floating overhead. The installation was erected after Hurricane Maria hit the island in 2017 and serves as a reminder of hope.
Nearby is a plaque that says, “Just as umbrellas move fluidly with the wind, Puerto Rico is a place that flows and majestically embraces every challenge it faces.”
Paseo de Sombrillas takes on even more meaning during these days of isolation.
It serves as a reminder that with hope one day we can return to life as we remember by embracing the challenges of today and be ready to face the ones in the future.