It's something the tech at the camera store said to me one day.
I had dropped off five or six rolls of film and had them developed, and we were talking about some of the negatives- big color six by six negatives from my Kiev 88 CM. We commented about the shots, and had been talking about bicycles before. The topic of conversation had covered the sharpness of the Zeiss 80mm/f 2.8 of the Kiev, and the bicycle tour across Missouri I was about to undertake with my girlfriend.
He shook his head.
"You seem to be living right," he said with a half wistful smile. "Shooting film and riding steel frame bikes."
I think it was the first time in my life anyone was envious of how I live.
I have to admit, though. It is a good life. I have a good bike, and I put probably fifty to seventy miles on it every week, and more on the weekends. I have a number of good cameras, and I make time to run film through them every moment I can. I've got a good off road vehicle, and I explore the backcountry of my new home state in it often. I live somewhere filled with beauty and people who expect me to get away and experience it.
But mostly, I've found someone to share it with who appreciates all of these things, and savors every moment of every day with me, as I do with her.
I'm lucky. I paid my dues and worked hard to get here.
Honestly, I wouldn't trade places with anyone.
So, I'm off to shoot film, and ride steel. There's more adventures ahead than behind.
