2025 Week 02 – Sometimes Your Support Is All That Is Needed
Rewind to about 2 years ago and I was looking for land. I fell in love with a spot that overlooked north Georgia and came with a building with large bay doors on it. But I soon forgot about it. It wasn’t the right time for me. Fast forward to my cousins inviting me out to their Pretty Boi Farms event to document with film and photography (and eat good too!). I drove up a long mountain road to discover the very same property that I had looked at years ago. I immediately thought that sometimes we are shown things not for our personal benefit, but to be of service to others. That night, I wouldn’t even let many people “pose” for pictures. I wanted to capture the full essence of this outdoor way of life they embodied. Kids and adults alike are being trained to ride horses on and off trails. DJ’s spins southern soul music while everyone line dances and swap stories around bonfires. Music artist, Skeatur Jones shoots a music video that happens seamlessly with the everything else. A call goes out and all the young strong men grab huge logs and throw them onto the fire to keep it going. Little kids toss footballs until the darkness loses the ball with each throw. It’s cold and completely dark within a few hours, but the dancing continues as cars pull around to light the ground which is packed tight and covered with hay. It feels like a blessing to be here and I think, “Sometimes, your support is all that is needed…”. “They” got this and been had this for years in the making. I’m thankful for learning such a vital lesson at the start of the year while surrounded by family. I watched at least 5 of the kids in this photo grow up since babies. Their strength and resolve are amazing. Their ability to adapt to outdoor life seems destined. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for them, and I promise to support in whatever way that I can. I’ve become so used to creating these events and moments that it feels like a blessing from heaven to be able to walk in their shadows and experience the love and peace that they have cultivated. I’m not quite ready to saddle up and ride across country, but I will get me a pair of cowboy boots because my timberlands failed me that night. Lol!
