In a previous lifetime, I had just recently moved to LA and the 2008 presidential primary was fast approaching. My friend Tony and I decided to go to a rally in Pasadena, featuring Ted Kennedy. Trying to get to Tony’s apartment in Beverly Hills, I somehow managed to find myself downtown. Don’t ask me how I did it, to this day I have no idea. Suffice it to say, we made it to the rally pretty late, but in time to see the Lion speak and for me to snap at least a few photos. Not long after, the news came out that Kennedy has brain cancer and wasn’t facing a very optimistic prognosis. My photos, on my Flickr account and with a Media Commons license to them, popped up in a few different news articles.
Now, Talking Points Memo, a blog that everyone should read daily, has asked for readers’ photos to make a slideshow. Two of mine ended up in it (making me, I’ll gloat, the only person to have two) as well as one of them being the thumbnail for the whole thing. I’m extremely proud of both being part of the content of one of my favorite blogs and of the fact that not only did I get to be there for a moment in history, but photograph it as well. As much as for election night and the Inauguration, these are the moments, stacked together, that make up the history of our world. I feel really lucky that I’m not only able to witness it and be a part of it, but play some tiny part in recording it.
It makes me wish I had taken more photos on election night, but truth be told, I wanted to be part of the moment, in the midst of it without worrying about recording it. I wish I had photos of the party at the Rio, of the moment in that small campaign office in northwest Las Vegas when it became official. Ah well, I made the choice and I’m okay with it.
Anyway, here are the Ted Kennedy photos in question and I’ll link my Inauguration photos as well, for good measure.