Happy birthday to me.

Photos by David duChemim

Today is my birthday. I am 50 ~~ a half a century old. HOLY COW!! I don’t feel fifty. I don’t feel twenty-five either, but I certainly don’t feel fifty. I think I am growing old gracefully. . . at least I am not kicking and screaming. If truth be known, if I was to kick I might hurt my back. Most people who don’t know how old I am, think I am in my early forties. I don’t think they are being just polite. I think it takes staying a least a few years younger at heart to do what I do. To have a healthy vibrant relationship with my 11 year old daughter. That is hard physical work. To move the whole family to a foreign country and a city we have never even set foot in before — that takes youthful insanity. To have a new and growing career in travel photography is enough to keep your heart pumping. I like my life right now. I have a great family. I am married to a great lady who is supportive in so many ways. She believes in my work and in me personally. My daughter is smart and respectful, well at least for now. She is not yet a teenager. I’ll check back in on this post five years from now. I have great friends and am still making new friends all the time. I have friends that have been with me for many years and new friends that will be with me for many years to come. I have friends that are not afraid to lay things out the way they are and not pull punches. I have photographer friends and co-workers who will tell me when a image is crap.

Do I have any regrets over the past 50 years? Nothing I think I have any control over. God is sovereign and I rest in that. This is not kismet. That is different. There is a control in my life that I cannot live without. This is not a forum to be preachy, but the fact is, my faith is of utmost importance to me. I cannot continue on for another day, let alone another 50 without knowing God is in control.

So, it has been a great fifty years. I miss my dad who passed away on April 3rd back in 1996. I think he would have been proud of me and my images, in fact I know he would have. But I have no regrets.

Now, you go out and have a great day, on my birthday.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 28th, 2008 at 6:24 pm and is filed under Blog and tagged with . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

  • Gavin Gough

    That’s just the nicest post I’ve read anywhere for a long time. Hearty congratulations and warmest wishes on your birthday.

  • Gavin Gough

    That’s just the nicest post I’ve read anywhere for a long time. Hearty congratulations and warmest wishes on your birthday.

  • Gavin Gough

    That’s just the nicest post I’ve read anywhere for a long time. Hearty congratulations and warmest wishes on your birthday.

  • Matt Brandon

    Thanks Gavin. That means a lot to me.

  • Matt Brandon

    Thanks Gavin. That means a lot to me.

  • Matt Brandon

    Thanks Gavin. That means a lot to me.

  • Kirk Bond

    Happy Birthday Matt!!!!

  • Kirk Bond

    Happy Birthday Matt!!!!

  • Kirk Bond

    Happy Birthday Matt!!!!

  • Phyllis Brandon

    I can guarantee that your Dad would have been proud of you and your photography skills. I am too. I hope you have had a most wonderful birthday – a day to remember!
    Love, Mom

  • Phyllis Brandon

    I can guarantee that your Dad would have been proud of you and your photography skills. I am too. I hope you have had a most wonderful birthday – a day to remember!Love, Mom

  • Phyllis Brandon

    I can guarantee that your Dad would have been proud of you and your photography skills. I am too. I hope you have had a most wonderful birthday – a day to remember!Love, Mom

  • Matt Brandon

    Blush!

  • Matt Brandon

    Blush!

  • Matt Brandon

    Blush!

  • David

    I thought you were kidding when you said your mother reads your blog! :-)

    Happy birthday, bro.

    -d

  • David

    I thought you were kidding when you said your mother reads your blog! :-) Happy birthday, bro.-d

  • David

    I thought you were kidding when you said your mother reads your blog! :-) Happy birthday, bro.-d

  • Len

    Hey, Matt, belated Happy Birthday!
    Say, have you sent in for your AARP membership yet? What? You’ve already ASKED for the senior discount at Best Buy, KFC, Arby’s, Subway, and your local grocer? No way!

    We, and a bunch of other people on the planet, are really glad you were born (not that you had anything to do with it–Good job, Moma Brandon, I know you’re listening out there, and watching over and likely holding your breath over everything Matt says, as you’ve probably been doing for the past 50 years and counting ;-) .

    We seriously celebrate your life, bro.

    Hint: Plucking the gray hairs from your head does not work at making you look younger.

    Grace and peace!

  • Len

    Hey, Matt, belated Happy Birthday! Say, have you sent in for your AARP membership yet? What? You’ve already ASKED for the senior discount at Best Buy, KFC, Arby’s, Subway, and your local grocer? No way! We, and a bunch of other people on the planet, are really glad you were born (not that you had anything to do with it–Good job, Moma Brandon, I know you’re listening out there, and watching over and likely holding your breath over everything Matt says, as you’ve probably been doing for the past 50 years and counting ;-) . We seriously celebrate your life, bro.Hint: Plucking the gray hairs from your head does not work at making you look younger.Grace and peace!

  • Len

    Hey, Matt, belated Happy Birthday! Say, have you sent in for your AARP membership yet? What? You’ve already ASKED for the senior discount at Best Buy, KFC, Arby’s, Subway, and your local grocer? No way! We, and a bunch of other people on the planet, are really glad you were born (not that you had anything to do with it–Good job, Moma Brandon, I know you’re listening out there, and watching over and likely holding your breath over everything Matt says, as you’ve probably been doing for the past 50 years and counting ;-) . We seriously celebrate your life, bro.Hint: Plucking the gray hairs from your head does not work at making you look younger.Grace and peace!

  • Prashant Khapane

    belated wishes Matt.

  • Prashant Khapane

    belated wishes Matt.

  • Prashant Khapane

    belated wishes Matt.

  • Len

    Hey, Matt, belated Happy Birthday! Say, have you sent in for your AARP membership yet? What? You've already ASKED for the senior discount at Best Buy, KFC, Arby's, Subway, and your local grocer? No way! We, and a bunch of other people on the planet, are really glad you were born (not that you had anything to do with it–Good job, Moma Brandon, I know you're listening out there, and watching over and likely holding your breath over everything Matt says, as you've probably been doing for the past 50 years and counting ;-) . We seriously celebrate your life, bro.Hint: Plucking the gray hairs from your head does not work at making you look younger.Grace and peace!

  • Len

    Hey, Matt, belated Happy Birthday!
    Say, have you sent in for your AARP membership yet? What? You've already ASKED for the senior discount at Best Buy, KFC, Arby's, Subway, and your local grocer? No way!

    We, and a bunch of other people on the planet, are really glad you were born (not that you had anything to do with it–Good job, Moma Brandon, I know you're listening out there, and watching over and likely holding your breath over everything Matt says, as you've probably been doing for the past 50 years and counting ;-) .

    We seriously celebrate your life, bro.

    Hint: Plucking the gray hairs from your head does not work at making you look younger.

    Grace and peace!

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