Remembering...

This is a copy of a post I submitted to the Four Perspectives blog to remember my friend Jason Zimmerman. It was originally posted there on September 4th. I thought I would share it here as well. Though I know that words cannot hope to capture everything that Jason was and did, I wrote about a few of my memories of him. There is more that I could probably have written, if only I could find the words... 

Remembering...

Though I cannot claim to have a lifetime of memories with Jason, those I do have are priceless. During the time I knew him I discovered a man who was as varied as his photographic and literary subjects. Humorous at times, contemplative and serious at others Jason had as many facets as the mountains he loved and so beautifully captured in their varying moods.

Jason’s ability to capture the world through the lens of his camera was a rare and special gift that he shared with so many.

For most people that would be enough, but Jason also had an amazing gift of both poetry and prose that both elevated and enriched.

As a friend, Jason had the uncanny knack of drawing out even the shyest of people and involving them. He did that for me from the first time I met him during a barbecue at a friend’s house. I am the type of person who - when thrust into a new situation - tends to try to melt into the background. He would have none of that. He spent the time to draw me into conversation and soon we were laughing as if we’d been friends for years. He did that on more than one occasion.  I saw him do the same for others. It was as if – for him – strangers did not exist. They were simply friends he had not yet met.

I will miss the witty one-liners and the poignant, heartfelt conversations. I will miss his extraordinary ability to marry word with image to create something bigger than the sum of its parts. I will miss “Christmas In September.”  I will miss “choosing the left” instead of the right on desert excursions because “it’s more adventurous.” …. In short - I will miss my friend…

Thanks for being a part of my life for such a brief time…

You will not be forgotten…