First, let me start by saying hello. It has been quite some time since I have posted. The reason for my absence is for many different reasons.
Today I had a discussion with a long time friend. I jokingly state that if you mention a famous person's name in association with yourself, more than one time, it is not name dropping. But I believe on blogger this would be the first time so I will not mention his name.
So back to the discussion: Having a discussion with (lets call him) George who is an actor. It was about social media, partially about the taking of pictures, more so about posting them constantly on social media. George is quite a few years older than I and since he stays away from social media, I've decided to share more of my side of the conversation. Though he did not discourage me mentioning him. Per my own personal beliefs, I believe it would be disrespectful to speak of his personal point of view while he remains a very private man. So here we go.
I want to start by stating that fame is easy. Infamy is easier. Both are fleeting and contrary to popular belief there are people who want nothing to do with fame. Or don't care one way or another.
I was one of those people. To be honest I was both of those types of people. Until I reached the age of 34; fame had no importance or even a thought in my mind. Through much illness, I had really seen how the world was changing while I laid stagnant in poor health.
I then realized exactly what I could do with such a title. And to be an example for those who already have this mass forum of fame or infamy. Then I became very ill again and that all went to hell. That is for now.
But fame comes from exposure. And exposure, as of now, comes from the documentation of our every movement and thought; as people wait for someone to say they are worthy to be one of the famous.
Now that is quite a set up for what I am about to share.
There are many pictures and videos of me that have been taken or recorded throughout most of my life. Though only about 1% are in my possession. My two ways of life: I was or have been too busy living it and/or surviving it. I found it more interesting to document through photography and video acts of nature or other peoples lives.
Most of my earlier pictures and videos came from other people through my excelling in athletics. I have done something that no one else on the planet, that I know of, has ever accomplished. I was a first team all American athlete in four sports. In the sports of basketball and football; I was an all American on offense and defense, condemning this post, the other two sports are not relevant to name as I am here to make a point, not to brag. In basketball and football, I had been featured on ESPN many times. Though I went on to play collegiate football for the university of Michigan where I was all American defense and a national champion.
My passion and true love was the game of basketball. Why I chose football, over basketball, having equal opportunity to be a collegiate and professional athlete in both sports, to this day I'm still not sure of my reason to choose football over my true love of basketball to initially pursue as a career. Maybe some other post I'll cross that bridge. And perhaps I do know the reason, I just choose to ignore it as that time has long since passed. I was a professional athlete, but in none of the sports I played in high school or college. I was a professional mountain biker and snowboarder. Though in these two sports there is not much difference between an amateur and a pro outside of financial gain.
I also received two doctorates and started in the game of music. How you define a professional musician has the same difficulty as defining yourself as a professional mechanic. And I don't mean wet work, for instance in my friend Jason Statham's new film Mechanic: Resurrection. Well, shiver me timbers I just contradicted a prior statement. Quick detour and segue. (segway) Yes we have all seen that knowing someone famous will absolutely make you famous.
I'm sure you're all thinking get on with it as the title is to pic or not to pic.
I grew up in a family that did not take very many pictures. At least of me. To be honest I wish I had more, specifically to share with my wife Anna Bella. But for others pictures seem to be proof. With photo shop and editing, you can be whomever you want to be whenever you want to. But we know when people are full of it.
So here's an anecdote about why I don't take pictures. It is simple and maybe even silly. But this is when it all clicked for me. In high school I was invited to the McDonald's all American tournament. This was a game between the two best teams in each class and division. How it started was that each state would hold this for classes A-D. Now, the tournament that I am speaking of is when they take the best players from the US no matter class or division. I took place in and won the dunk contest and though I had qualified or rather was chosen, for the skills challenge, I turned that down to focus on the dunk contest and the championship game itself. Which by the way I was the MVP of the game. I could have went to any college or university in the united states. And could have went into professional basketball directly out of high school for several NBA teams. In my time, this was not common place or accepted as I graduated high school in 1993. A side note: I had played in AAU leagues and a little competition called Gus Macker. My team mate was always the eventual professional basketball player, Chris Weber. Chris and I were ranked one and two respectfully until he graduated as he was a year older, then I was ranked number one for the following year. So prior to the final McDonald's tournament you had your state's championship game. I was named Mr. Basketball for my state and the US that year. And then on to the McDonald's all American tournament. Though I have strayed slightly from my point, I am getting back to it. That year the championship games were held at the palace of Auburn hills where the Detroit Pistons play. As my division had already played, I was sitting second row with a group of friends/players watching class A. Back then which classes played in what order was based on a lottery system as opposed to now they run them in order. And unlike now there was only one game for each division. And one McDonald's all American tournament.
So to the story: I watch basketball on television often. Specifically the Chicago Bulls. When I grew up there were not many stations like there are now. Other than playing, I had never seen a professional basketball stadium from a viewing stand point. To understand how exceptional I was, as opposed to my 6'4" 265lb frame now, at the age of 18 I was only 5'8" 165lbs. Why is this poignant? I was able to succeed and be the best of the best without carrying arrogance because I was always having to work so hard as everyone was always so much taller. So I did not have time to think I was great. But this has been the way I have been my entire life. And though my family had wealth, means, opportunity, I found myself overwhelmed with oppression, possessiveness and restriction. Though for me and most others at this time, this was considered normal. The poignancy is the inability to see that which is right in front of you.
So yet again second row court side. Myself and several of my friends watching the highlight of the tournament class A. All team members ranging from 6'5" to 6'11" and not a white boy on either team. Even though I'm part black for me and my friends, it was a treat. Remember this was the time of white men can't jump. Other than myself of course with a 53"+ vertical. Us several boys had torn our ticket stubs in half as we were given special passes but also had to have tickets; gave our other halves to a few friends that were not players in this tournament so they had court side seats. And it actually worked.
So now we're ready for tip off. 6'9" 220lb center. Tips the ball to the point guard. Sets up for a position, a pick n roll (I believe the centers name was Leon) he cuts through the left side. They throw an alleyoop. He grabs it and an incredible fascinating dunk occurs. But what was I, the amazing Joshua doing at the time? That's right, looking at the jumbo tron. A giant tv screen. I missed it. I missed what was right in front of my eyes in real time. Of course I jumped up and cheered as I swear to you it took me five seconds to realize that I basically watched on tv what I could have watched in person. Experience gone. Of course to satisfy my stupidity, as I told my friends, I and they stated don't worry we have the entire rest of the game to see plays like that. Not one other dunk that game. I have had a record number dunks in one game my junior year in high school at 9, beating Chris Webber's 8 that he held a year prior to this. I have to this day the highest points ever in a high school basketball game, at 78, yes 78 points in a single basketball game. I had accomplished several quadruple doubles and I had averaged a triple double my Sophomore and junior years in high school. In a game, though not particularly in my league, but in AAU and other tournaments including myself there were many dunks. On my basketball team in high school, our 6'5" center was the only other person that ever dunked in the game. So experiencing it in a game is different that experiencing it from a viewers perspective. After the class A game was a class C game, these guys were dunking left and right. I felt redeemed but not satisfied.
During the summer after I graduated, after this experience, I went out and bought a Pentax K 1000, 35mm analog with a 50mm lens. I could have went digital but I was old school before there was old school.
My whole point of getting this camera was based upon that event. To take pictures of moments that had to be held in a still pic. Almost as if so I could enjoy what should be simply in my memory. I nabbed a couple pictures of lightning. One less than 20feet away. A picture of a hummingbird caught in flight in absolute still motion. A friend had a feeder, I set the F stop properly, and had a one second delay on my camera for lens closure, and nabbed it. But the problem was this, film. Development. And not letting your former girl friend's mother keep the pictures and the negatives. People take pictures of everything. But it's not for themselves. Or their children. Or their own experience. They take pictures to post on social media to say hey, look at me. Check out my clothes, my body, my hair. Selling themselves to the highest or lowest bidder. Hoping for accolades and validation. Not everyone of course. I have several friends on social media who post pictures of nature when they travel. Or special events such as their 90 year old grandfathers birthday. Or simply a street sign sharing part of their lives, and travels and exploits minus exploitation. Again I wish I had more pictures of myself or rather that are in my possession. My wife who is adopted, her parents had basically documented every moment of her life. Unfortunately one day went over to her mother's home while my wife taking a nap peacefully, had no clue that I was being subject to 21 years of pictures and video. My wife's childhood pictures can only be cute the first ten or twelve times. I suppose it worked out great for her parents as we no longer speak with them. The explanation is personal, but I will tell you this, the constant looking at these pictures by my wife's mother seemed to give her an attitude to live in the past with possessiveness and ownership towards my Andy, my wife. I had spent more time with my wife when I met her and experienced more with her in one month than her parents or her entire family did in the previous 21 years. As our relationship together, still of now, is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by each other's side. Should I have been spending my time taking pictures of memories, or making memories? Should I be thinking about the past, or living in the present, striving for the future? This has become very serious. SnapChat, Instagram, face book, Twitter, YouTube, on and on. When I started in music, I had a couple of friends that were musicians also. But they had the attitude that some A&R Rep would drive by their parents garage (garage band) hoping they would see and hear them, and bam record deal. Now they post a pic or a video and are hoping for the same thing. What's amazing is that it actually happens. They get their fame, they get their record deal. They get their reality show. I stand by today what I said by 20 years ago. This is no way to make a career. The right motives and intentions have so much to do with everything. And if you're doing this for these reasons, 99.99% of you will be disappointed. The old sayin get busy living or get busy dying should now be get busy living or get busy documenting your every move and share it with the world. I have a few people in mind I could speak about who is doing this, and most likely exactly at this moment, but the fact that we're all thinking of the same people, well, we all know. And if you take the first letter of their last names, it equals KKK. There ya go conspiracy theorist and the illuminati.
So to pic or not to pic. As pictures have been an important part of our lives and history documenting and preserving our personal lives and the growth of our country and through this history allowing for significance from insignificance as time passed. In social media the documentation of your bathing suit, and a big butt, will have no baring on anybody's life and I hope to God will not be significant in our future to our new country's history. I end with this, to pick or not to pick. That is the question.
One last note: Why is everybody else looking at everybody else's photos? Why are 70+ million people looking at pictures of one little girl on instagram? And she's only looking at a few peoples pictures. Does that not seem odd? What is so interesting? And since 90% of pictures with girls is with their clothes off, if you are married, have children, in a relationship, and if they are under 30 and you are over five years older than them, shame on you. Thank you, take care.
~ Joshua Jet Vaughan ~
Post Script: If a picture is worth a thousand words, then tell me what those thousand words entail. And since many pictures have long drawn out statements with them, you are now devaluing the picture itself. So you're not sharing a moment. I believe you are taking moments from others. Please put value and meaning back into your pictures. And for those who are married and have their husband or wife sharing pics half naked or completely. You're not sharing your life you're sharing your wife #KKK why did I just hashtag? It actually should be kk kk kk kj kj kj cj rk how you enjoy this post. There's just some things I don't believe I will ever understand. Nor will I ever want to. And if you disagree with me ask yourself this, does a picture of someone you know or most likely don't know with their shirt off, in a bathing suit, perhaps a picture of their meal, better your life? When I am 90 years old, I will not remember any of the people who post these types of pics. I will most likely not remember the pics themselves. Which begs the question why do we remember the pics of the seven wonders of the world? The great buildings. Great feats accomplished by man? Etc. When I used to see these pics I would think how I wanted to visit these places so badly or see that person do something so physically amazing; when i was younger when i wanted to see a girl in a bathing suit i would drive a few miles to the beach. Now all I have to do is go on social media and take my pick of a pic. The only thing they have in common, still no touching allowed. And though this may seem a little off the subject, I am a very strong advocate for the homeless, starvation, and people with serious health issues. Maybe I can just take a pic of a hamburger and show it to these people and say enjoy. My point is is if you look at it that way it seems quite self serving. Have a great day and spend your time living your life. And if you're that great at something, believe you me, someone else will document it. And THAT is wisdom.
