The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are. 

   Good art always poses questions. Answers are better left to the viewer. In this photograph mystery & beauty matter more than identity or location. To push for the latter devalues the former. 

   After I retired as President of Nashville's Baptist Hospital System a mid-level executive said to me, "I guess you're a has-been now."

   "I'd rather be a has-been than a never was," I replied, pleased that I thought of a snappy rejoinder.

   There is something off-putting about either choice. "Has-been" implies meaningful life is over. "Never was" passes judgment on someone who may only appear to have lived a life of lesser deeds.   

   The dichotomy is fake. The most "successful" among us may live lives of accomplishment beyond the conclusion of a given career. Those who seem to be "Never wases" instead "always were," especially if they have been loving caregivers.

   In any case, our worth does not depend upon our job. 

   It is very important to use our God-given potential to do what we can for others. Our lives give us the power to do so much & it is always tragic when opportunities are squandered through fear of commitment. Still, it is important to celebrate lives of quiet elegance among those who keep their circle small.

   Now living in a smaller circle I photograph every day. With more time to live that passion I no longer apologize that it is just an avocation. For me, photography is as much of a career as practicing law or running hospitals. Yet, charity remains paramount.

   Who is to say whether your life has been successful? You, of course. Maybe your answer is the only one that matters. 

   Live love, not fear & you will always succeed.

-Erie Chapman

Photograph "White Series #4" copyright erie chapman 2014