So here is how the story goes….
Donna was working “Staff Duty” at Medina Children’s Home and we were going to do headshots for brochures, website, promotional material, etc… We were able to take some pictures on Saturday and found quite a few we liked.
Sunday comes along and I think that I want to maybe try and get some of the same shots, a little different, with a different colored shirt on. So we were going to take some pics on Sunday.
As staff duty goes, Donna was swamped and we only were able to take a few pictures. As I was going back to the room we stay in during this “on call” shift, I thought I would stop by and see Mikey and his new “bachelor pad.”
So that you understand who Mikey is, he is a graduate from the Medina Children’s Home Program and is now attending Schreiner University as a freshman, and the first young adult from the organization in the “after care” program That Medina Childrens Home has started.
Mikey was one of the kids on my caseload when I was a Social Services Administrator with Medina Children’s Home. As a result of being his caseworker, I was able to get to know Mikey very well….His past, the traumatic and tragic childhood he had as well as the fine young man he was then… Let just say that Mikey came from a “rough” background…And that term comes from someone who, in my years in Law Enforcement am very familiar with as “rough” background. His story was truly worse than even all my years in the field exposed me to.
We had some struggles, but what teenagers don’t? As his caseworker, I was responsible for moderating his discipline, managing his program and handling the “issues”, he had personally. He was always one to push the boundaries with all the tools provided him, and was always an inspiration to watch as he figured out the rules to the game, mastered the game, played it in within the rules, and attained all he wanted (and more). He is a GREAT kid and has a great future ahead of him, and I am proud to know I was a part of who Mikey is today…I am humbled!;Truly.
Well, as “luck” would have it Mikey was home and took me in to show me his new little house he got as an “after care kid” and brother, it aint bad….Much nicer than the first apartment I had, that’s for sure!
Everything was neat and tidy, he is a HUGE A&M fan and has A&M memorabilia, posters, banners, everywhere in his little house. It was spotless clean and very well kept… I could not help but smile as I walked in and he showed me around, smiling, fidgeting with his hands, giggling, as he was nervous to show me around… I was gleaming with pride and appreciation for the young man he is becoming!
Well, as we talked, I told Mikey of my photo shoot deal, and it came to me…”DING!!”
Hey Mikey, you know how to take pictures? Mikey, jokingly says “yeah, point it at ya and push the button.” In his little witty tone…GRRR!! ;)
I told him, “well, it’s a little more complicated than that with this camera, but come on, I will show ya”
Well, I have a paper I have to write. How long will this take?”
I told him “about 30 minutes”
And he said, “Oh, I can spare that, let’s go”
Well, Medina Children’s Home is about 450 acres of absolutely breathtaking Hill Country scenery and landscape. From rolling hills to beautiful rivers and lakes that are the North Prongs of the Medina river….Just magnificently beautiful place…A great place, if one has to be a foster kid, to be a foster kid! It also has very cool phot-op’s available.
Well, we got down to the river area of the ranch, and I gave a quick five-minute lesson on the camera. Explained how it pretty much will do the work for ya, I just want some certain kinds of shots. I asked Mikey to sit down in an area I was going to sit, and took about 5 different pictures of him. I showed him the pictures, explained the shadows, light (what little I do know), and then had him start shooting.
Well, attached are those pictures that he took, I am first of all just wanting to show you this kids natural talent (never shooting “real pictures” before) and ask you all to vote for which one you think would be best for my promotional material or facebook, or website, etc... I would like to have the best three, in order that you like, and I will use these in various portions of my presentations and other material.
I didn’t even consider how impacting this could be for him, to see his pictures going out to promote and had no idea how much fun we were going to have.
It was so nice to be able to connect with my old “student” again, growing up, becoming a great young man, hearing of his college experiences, just spending time with him. What a great kid, and what an amazing success story he is.
He is evidence that it’s possible to overcome any adversity, and THRIVE!! He is, for the first time, experiencing the world. He has been so sheltered his whole life, and watching him blossom now that he has his “adult” freedom is life changing for me, as much as it is for him. He is experiencing the “world” for the first time, and I get to watch him do it….What a blessing! I am so very proud of him!
Anyway, below are the pictures….Please pick out the three you think are best. I am looking for warm, approachable, “thought” laid back, casual…For those of you that know me well, just pick the top three that you feel “Grab” who I show up to you as…Please!
And yes, Mikey is going to get the credit! Thanks Buddy…You did a GREAT job!! One day, maybe we will speak to a crowd together!
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