Funny old life, this. Everyone knows that our time on this stage has book-ends, the finish one being just a mirror-image of the start one, both giving the physical and emotional support that each phase of that life demands; parents doing it for their babies, children for their elders, most with care, patience, commitment and occasionally affection. Nice thought.

I should stop there but can't help suggesting to you that the accepted advice of looking forward rather than back isn't always the best. I'm reminded of that by two things that happened recently: first, my son David, for whom I have the greatest respect (in spite of his having inherited some of my characteristics) as well as deep affection, spoke quite glowingly of some of my previous work. He'd been reading some of my articles, published in photo magazines such as the BJ and Professional Photographer and referred me to an ability he said I had to put words together. Thanks David; that means a lot. Some weeks before we had been looking at a boxful of old photographs of mine which, in their haphazard way, plotted a route through my professional life. "There's a book here" he said, and being susceptible to a bit of flattery, I concurred. 

The second trigger happened yesterday as I listened to something on radio; 'The Purpose of Life is to Pass on Something' someone said. Who the someone was and in what context he (for it was a 'he') said it escapes me (my short-term memory was always poor -- I used to ask my opponent how many snooker points I had scored at the end of each break, though often it didn't tax their maths too deeply) but I took note of that proposition and decided to push it further. What had I to offer that could justify my life, this term on the planet, that I had adopted as my own?

Looking at the box of prints and assessing my previous worth proved to be a good exercise, and I would recommend that emotional journey to anyone reading this -- if you've got this far that is. Look at what you have done, good and bad. Don't ignore the bad, as it's there and you did it, but conversely don't beat your breast about it till the blood runs.  Concentrate more on your achievements; be honest, be modest, be balanced but above all, give yourself the credit you deserve.

You'll feel better. I do.

John