This woman was surfing with a boogie board at Chapoquoit beach a few weeks ago when I took her picture. She looks about my age, which means she probably grew up, like me, listening to the feel-good music of the Beach Boys.
As the years go by I try to actively cultivate a youthful mindset by staying interested in the process of living. Mostly, I want to avoid the debilitating condition of chronic anger that seems epidemic in our culture. Don’t misunderstand me, I recognize there are plenty of problems that need fixing and we should be finding ways to fix them, but with a positive and cooperative attitude – not just by ranting.
I’m clinging to the happiness and hopefulness of my youth, like the woman in this photograph. I try to stay fit. I try to keep my mind active by reading books, and I photograph people who appear to be loving life. I am, unashamedly, feeding on their positive energy. I want to catch my own wave and ride it as long as I can because the Beach Boys told me if I do that … I’ll be sittin’ on top of the world.
Monte