I was up before dawn packing for my job at Medway Memorial School, photographing students. The color was starting to peek through, so while the neighborhood was still quiet, I put the drone up and photographed the sun appearing at 6:21 a.m.
Then it was off to the school, where I photographed 490 kids, numerous teachers, and was sung “Happy Birthday” to more times than I am comfortable with. I’m not going to lie, I like to hide on my birthday. When I was in corporate America, I would take the day off. I spent my 50th in the middle of nowhere in Iceland. I’ve been out of state for many others. But I have never had the chance to spend my birthday with 490 kids.
It was an experience I didn’t know I needed. I recommend it to all. You will get some of the most genuine birthday greetings you’ll ever receive. I got crowns, cards, high fives, fist bumps, and enough Happy Birthdays to last me a while. It turned a non-zero-ending birthday over 50 into a memorable occasion. I even got a photo in my new crown, thanks to my assistant for the day, Paul.
Then tonight, as I sat with the family filling them in on the day, we noticed the sunset. I grabbed the drone, put it back up, and it happened to be 6:21 again. A nice bookend to an unexpected birthday.
tr/trp
