I grew up in a relatively small Chicago home—the home was around 800 square feet and this was between five people at one point. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my Chicago residence. I have an abundance of memories from this era of my existence. Growing up and seeing the world around you change is one enthralling experience—it is almost hypnotic. The time fades away as quickly as it rolls in.
At one point, I considered myself a perfectionist. I would have never shared a shot like this—it’s imperfect: there were obviously flaws in the development process, the focus is off, and the camera had light leaks, but I think things like these are important to share. Not everything is prim and pretty, and that is okay. Not everything needs to be perfect. I still consider myself conscientious, but I no longer consider myself a staunch perfectionist.
Sometimes it is easy to forget or ignore the many simple pleasures in life. Our fast-paced world makes it hard to step back and find beauty in the small things. I find great joy in reflection—it is only from the past that we can make improvements in our decision-making processes (okay, this might not be true: check out online algorithms and Bayesian Decision Theory, but it is still relevant) so looking back provides us with a good framework for future decision-making.
All photos in this post were taken with Fujifilm Superia 400 and hand-developed.