On Vivian Maier - Joel Meyerowitz (2013)

self portrait - ATP / Redfern (Mon 11 Jun 2018)

Joel Meyerowitz on Vivian Maier:

To go up and photograph a stranger on the street you have to hold your ground and be fearless and take what you want because it is yours.

via Vivian Maier BBC Imagine (2013) by Joel Meyerowitz.

Will see an exhibition of Vivian Maier photos in Vienna in mid-July.

On Fear and Fearlessness - Jeremy Rolleston / A Life that Counts (Tue 13 Aug 2013)

Poster - Underground / London (Fri 16 Aug 2013)
Jeremy Rolleston (*) and Fearlessness (*):

fearlessness (*) is not the same as the absence of fear (*).

The fearless person is well aware of the fear she faces.

The fear, though, becomes a compass, not a barrier.

It becomes a way to know what to do next, not something that has to be denied or an evil demon to be extinguished.

When we deny our fear, we make it stronger (*). And trying to deny it doesn’t make us fearless (*).

But acknowledging your fear and moving on / choosing a new [brave (*)] mindset (*) is one that permits it to exist without strengthening it or letting it control (*) you.

via We’re both scared but for different reasons (*) by Jeremy Rolleston (*).

On Expectation and Hope - Baz Luhrmann - Good Weekend / SMH (Sat 11 May 2013))

Jenny - National Library of Australia / Canberra (Nov 2003)
Baz Luhrmann (*) on Expectation (*) and Hope (*):

I have no expectations (*).Only hopes (*).

It was a titanic effort from fearless Baz, says DiCaprio (*) by Gary Maddox (*).

Random recollection. Baz's Mother, Barbara and her Husband, Ross, were our dancing instructors around the time following Strictly Ballroom (*). We did it for a few years and we seemed to stop shortly after Jenny was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 1996.

Jenny and I decided that we should give the Bridal Waltz, at our Wedding (*), our best effort and we engaged Barbara and Ross to choreography our waltz, and to give us a few lessons to learn and master our steps. It all went marvelously well on the big day and we surprised ourselves, along with all our Family and Friends.

Spiderman - Hero Forever - 02 May 2002 (youtube)

Spiderman - Hero Forever - 02 May 2002 (youtube)

Whatever life holds in store for me, I will never forget these words:

"With great power comes great responsibility."

This is my gift, my curse. Who am I? I'm [..]

Peter Parker (Spiderman - 02 May 2002)

2:15am Fri 01 July 2011 - I found myself thinking about this closing Cemetery scene from Spiderman as I lay in bed reflecting on my day - the 2nd Anniversary of Jenny's passing.

The day had a few twists and turns I was not expecting - but that is the beauty of life.

Peter Parker's words seemed to resonate with me the first time I heard them many years ago with Jenny at my side at the Kogarah Mecca. Today they resonate just as much, if not more.

Postscript: I put the above video and words on my Facebook Profile in the early hours of Friday morning. For some reason this scene came into my head. I am not sure why, but I guess there must have been a reason. Maybe I would think of this scene once or twice a year and I always go searching for the above quote (now it is here I don't have to search too far to find it).

There are not too many scenes from movies I can remember as well as this one (another movie that is indelibly stamped in my memory is Fearless - a story for another day). Most movies I see, I am lucky to remember what the movie was about by the time I have watched the credits and walked out. A good movie might stay in my mind for a day or two. So for this scene to remain in my memory for 9 years, probably indicates some kind of association (for me, associative memory is my best form of recall).

Plenty of metaphors in the words and the cemetery scene clip - no need to worry, I don't think I have great powers, but maybe I feel a sense of responsibility to ensure that Jenny's is remembered and that her life is honoured.