Where are you from?

This is a pic, I took a while back, on the Island (Amelia Island, Florida), which use to be known as Fernandina Beach, until the Amelia Island Plantation was developed on the south end. Such is real estate; sales and marketing. It’s all important, WHO you are, and WHERE you’re from. Location, Location, Location.

Sean Poynter grew up there surfing, and has gone on to be one of world’s best SUP surfer. Last summer, he told me what had transpired in his life, altering his surfing path to the SUP. I thought, what a smart man. What a nice guy. And that’s what I think of him, today. He is an incredible, over the top, athlete. I admire Sean.

Today I made a remark on my photography page, concerning him calling his hometown, a California beach community. It was an editorial comment and one I thought was interesting. I was blasted by a few people. It seems they took it as I said—-I don’t even know what they thought, but it was obvious I had hit an exposed nerve. Such is social media.

I think I’ll leave all editorial comments alone. I don’t want an opinion. I just want to take my photos.

Surfing, where my home break is, in a foreign country, I often get asked by tourists, “where are you from”? It’s a common, everyday question, like little kids asking, “what’s your name”? Sometimes, it’s one of those identity, snide whips, like teenagers wanting to know, “who’s your Daddy?”

I rarely answer the Westside of Jacksonville, Florida. It’s fame hinges on a statistic: it’s known as a dumping ground, for dead bodies and the southern rock band, Lynard Skynard.

But hey, who gives a ____. I’m just a lowly kook, trying to get a life.

Cheers…