So I was doing an interview yesterday with the college newspaper, and during this awesome interview, someone told me I should write more. So here goes nothing.As most of you know, I was on a music tour (some of you may still think I am on it) with three bands across the U.S. It ended abruptly last week and now I'm back home in the wonderful state of California.
Why did it end? Well long story short, there as a bit of a fallout between bands (well the bands and one other artist.) One band left and the tour was called. I'm now home.
I had a great time, it's incredible to travel on a bus (I've always been a frequent flyer myself), you see things that i never thought existed outside of Hollywood. Towns that have no stop lights, places in the middle of nowhere where gas is $5 a gallon. It's crazy.
Photographing three groups, at unpredictable venues over and over again makes you crazy. But it also makes you better. The best part of these experiences is that I got to know most of these people pretty well. We talked about our hopes, our dreams, our despairs, our fears, our families, our loves, our passions. We talked about our favorite music, we discussed theology, what love means in a Christian context, what it means to live this crazy life in a crazy world. I will forever remember these times as a crucible for my development not only as a photographer but as a real, living breathing person.
I figured I'll slow play out all of these photos and do some writing in between to give you guys the backdrop. The first person I want you to meet is Adam Cappa . For various reasons that shouldn't be shared, Adam got me home. He actually pulled out his credit card and payed United Airlines $230.47 to fly me home because someone else wouldn't do it. That's irrelevant though when you get to know Adam. That's just something he does without a thought.
I got to photograph Adam in a setting other than the stage, which was pretty refreshing. He's a good-looking guy, that is really easy to work with. The photographs are secondary in this situation. They're here just to keep you reading.
I had a conversation with Adam on one of these long drives. Adam's a straight-shooter, he grew up in a small(er) town of Richmond, Indiana. His dad's the sheriff there, his brother's a police officer, his sister is a student and I'm not exactly sure what his mother does besides make incredible spaghetti and meatballs. My much-avoided point is that if you ask Adam a question he'll give you a straight answer. I think it has something to do with the way he was raised and his faith.
Anywho, the conversation started somewhere along the lines of, "what do you hope to do in this lifetime?" Its one of those ridiculous questions that humans center great discussions on but really hold no weight until that person has accomplished what they stated. Maybe I'm disenchanted.
Adam stated what I expected, he wants to communicate the love of Christ to people all over through his music. I hummed along and kind of shot the same thing back at him but insert my current passion instead of music. Adam's kinda successful at what he does. You may not have heard of him yet, but actually Adam's really successful at what he does. You may have heard the name Jeremy Camp and hopefully I'm not letting any cats out of the bag, but Adam's been working pretty closely with that guy. So I asked him another question,
"How do you filter out your wordly desires (fame, fortune, etc.) and find your purpose? Like what makes you do what you do? Moreover, how do you know this is what you're supposed to do?"
His reply blew my previous statement above: "Its one of those ridiculous questions that humans center great discussions on but really hold no weight until that person has accomplished what they stated. Maybe I'm disenchanted. up.
(This isn't verbatim, simply what I can remember off the top of my head.) "Well, I think where I'm at has kind of showed me that I am where I am supposed to be but if that all changes I have to be content with that. I believe my gift is communicating with people. The guitar and voice are simply complimentary. If I lost my arm tomorrow and became mute the next, I still believe that I would continue communicating God's love in some way. All that other stuff is secondary."
I have to say I'm impressed. Not an answer I expected, but definitely one I'm going to look at as guidance.
But are we getting it yet? Are we? I know I'm not there but I'm trying after this conversation. What if your "gift" is really just complimentary? I don't write this to scare you but more so to invoke a reality check. Could you be missing out on your real purpose because your so focused on presumed purpose?
I think of it and it scares me to death. Maybe not now, but what if in ten years I realize this? What if I never realize it? I really don't know.
Friends, I offer you comfort though. The God that I know, isn't a God that creates you with passions and desires, talents and dreams; drives them into your heart so much that you believe in them, you live them, you breathe them, you even bleed them only to rip them away. God creates you in these ways to live them out, but for his purpose and like you, I'm still searching and working that out.
Oh yeah, here's a new tune.
Adam Cappa Unplugged from Jerome Love on Vimeo.
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