Obstruction #2: Life Reflections

6/52:

This is my answer to Obstruction # 2 from [http://www.flickr.com/people/tamarak2010/] to my original photo Undergound Reflections , which was as follows:

"Using a reflection of yourself - window or mirror, reflect on some important aspect of your life or to portray some idea or quote...like reflections on a happy childhood or reflecting on the past...or reflecting on something you want, something that is looming…"

My wife Gretchen and I were born on two different continents on opposite sides of the world. We grew up in different cultures speaking different languages. At some point, in both of our lives, we started moving towards each other without even knowing that the other person existed. We were learning about each other's cultures and even embracing aspects of it long before we met. Each of us got to a point where we felt we didn't exactly fit 100 % in either culture. Even when we met--and thank God both of us were living in the US--we still had 2000 miles between us. We had to deal with a long distance relationship with all its difficulties for a while.

Now, we are getting close to our 8th wedding anniversary. We live in neither of the cities that we'd lived in when we met, or the places we grew up in. Gretchen is starting a new career (as a teacher) that, up to a few years ago, she'd never considered. Fifteen years ago, I wasn't sure I could ever pursue my dream of getting back to graduate school and continuing with my chosen carrier. Even 10 years ago, I was going through a tough time that jeopardized my entire future.

Now I look back. Both of us have never been happier and content. We are both extremely blessed. As The Beatles say: "It's getting better all the time".

You never know where life is going to lead you or who you're going to meet along the way. Embrace serendipity. 

Now to the technical part, I created the collage of our old photos in "shape collage" and displayed it in full screen mode on my computer screen. I needed extra strong light for my face to be able to see the reflection on the bright screen. Added the processing and the Polaroid style frame for nostalgia.

[This photo is also used for the 2012: 52 weeks project/ Week 6 Theme: Light]