EOC WEEK 6: me * 3

One item that defines me is my Van’s shoes. I have been wearing them since I was 10 or so and I still wear them to this day. I tried other shoes, but because of the high arch I have, they were very uncomfortable and slipped, so I went back to the Vans. The shoes are very casual, and very comfortable. It doesn’t matter to me that they go in and out of style, nor that they are technically a skateboarding shoe and I don’t skateboard. I wear them everywhere. People in the Sierra Club are shocked that I wear them while hiking but I explain to them that I have been wearing them on hikes since I was a kid and never had a problem, and that also because of the thin rubber sole, I can climb rocks easier than I would with a stiff soled hiking boot that most hikers wear.

Another item that defines me is my camera. As a photographer, I feel naked without it and almost always have it with me. Many years ago, when I was first starting photography, I asked my cousin what camera to buy. He gave me very good advice, he said that I shouldn’t buy a specific camera for its features, but rather think of a camera as a lens system, and that to therefore buy the camera with the best set of lenses. This pretty much narrowed it down to Canon or Nikon, as they have the most lenses. So 6 cameras bodies later, I am still a Canon guy and probably always will be because I have so much invested in lenses that it would be expensive to switch to another brand, plus I see no point in switching as I am very satisfied with the Canon products. I even now have a few Canon printers.

 

 

A third item that defines me is my car. I think to some extent, you are what you drive, in that it tells about who you are or how you want others to perceive you. I have a Toyota 4Runner SUV. I like it because it is very fast and reliable and rugged and outdoorsy and somewhat masculine but not beating you over the head with it.  It has a lots of miles on it but runs great, and is almost all original equipment, like me. It is 4 wheel- drive and can go anywhere even on snow or sand. It can carry a huge amount of stuff with no problem and still blows the other cars away with its 0-60 in 8 seconds speed.