keith

Keith has had two heart attacks. The first one he passed out. The second left him medically dead for twelve minutes and in a coma for for days. The guy who kept his body oxygenated had learned CPR the day before. Keith lost both his parents when he was young. “You look at life differently after you lose a parent. It doesn’t matter if you were close or not. If you lose your mom you lose your mom.” When Keith was eighteen he joined the Navy and served in Dessert Storm launching planes off a carrier. Today his primary source of income is working at fairs and selling mini donuts.

Keith is a people person. I saw him working on a motor in his driveway and pulled over. I asked if I could come on his property and ask him a question. “No… Just kidding. Where are you lost from?” I explained to Keith that I didn’t think I was lost but interested in taking his picture. He continued to be jovial and engaged both Shane and I in a very comfortable fashion.

His advice is to enjoy life – it goes by quick. When Keith first told me this I thought the answer was quite generic. Later he told me about the heart attacks, the losses, and the pain. This context changes how I look at his advice completely. Here’s a guy who has experienced hardships I don’t dare dream of and is as friendly and kind as anyone I have ever photographed. Keith asked me what I’ve learned from the project so far. I am continually amazed at how much we can learn from each other and bring each other up, one encounter at a time.

[65] July 16, 202