Asking the Question
Originally posted to Thinkspot on February 9th, 2022.
I decided recently that I want to attempt taking portraits of people that I admire or have affected me greatly in my life. At 2 am this morning I went on writer J Michael Straczynski's instagram and stated my intentions. A bold move, to say the least, but sometimes bold moves are necessary.
Something I talk about all the time is the idea of "asking the question". There is a voice inside all of us; for some people, such as myself, the voice is deafening. It constantly whispers in your ear. "Don't ask out that girl. She won't want anything to do with you." "Don't apply for that job. No one wants to hire you." "Don't ask for help. No one wants you to bother them." It can be anything. And often it is the simplest things. For whatever reason, you don't ask the question. But why? Its something I struggle with. Its led me to closing far too many doors over the last 42 years.
Philosophy (and sometimes physics) teaches us that "impossible" is merely a matter of perspective. The impossible is made possible all the time. All it takes is one person to say "I can do that" and then work for it.
Will my childhood idol respond to a random instagram post? I have no idea. That voice inside of me is calling me an idiot even as I type this. But its only impossible if I don't make the attempt. And even if he ignores it or says no, I don't have to accept it. Maybe I'll be able to contact Professor Jordan Peterson. Maybe Dave Attell will say yes. Or the next person. Or the one after that.
Success is often achieved by simply refusing to stay down when you've been knocked to the ground.
I never got the chance to take Straczynski’s photo, but I did get to meet him.
