“Love life, engage in it, give it all you’ve got. love it with a passion, because life truly does give back, many times over, what you put into it” - Maya Angelou

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY – This past Fall, Dr.Kyra Gaunt and I shared a music/photography project with the attendees at TED x East. The day was especially fruitful because I had the opportunity to learn from people with a passion for self-exploration and social engagement. Suzi Welch was the first presenter to share at the event and she spoke about doing your “life’s work”. Towards the end of her presentation, Suzi asked each of us to consider the following: “Fifty years from now, what would make you so happy it would bring tears of joy to your eyes?”

I already experience so much pleasure and joy as a wedding photographer; documenting remarkable love stories and the people who make them possible. I already cry tears of joy because I feel really fortunate and grateful for this life. What more would make me happier 50 years from now? Then it hit me….

I know men in their 20′s, 30′s, 40′s and 50′s who have undeniable joie de vivre. Then sometime before 70, they seem to lose it (some of us lose it way before 70). I didn’t know any man in his 70′s that was still engaged with and passionate about living…until I met Bill Woodson. Bill is witty, engaging, world-traveled, well-read, compassionate, punctual and computer savvy (he responds to emails faster than most people I know). Over the course of several months (and several meals), we have become good friends.

In May, Bill celebrated his 80th birthday at Terrace in the Sky. For me, these images document the quality of engagement, passion and support that exist throughout Bill’s life. In the background, you can see him presenting a slideshow complete with photos from his childhood, world travels and brief career as a model (he’s like The Most Interesting Man in the World). Below are more images from the evening…

Overall, this experience reminded me of the old expression: “we are defined by the company we keep”. The people we choose to date, marry, work for, work with, serve (yes your clients too) are all reflections of who we are. How does the company you keep reflect the person you are becoming 50 years from now?

P.S. This story is dedicated to one of Bill’s close friends Denise Jefferson (Above left in the photo). Denise was the director of The Ailey School. She passed away about two months after this photo was taken. Her legacy as a dance educator and ambassador for the arts will continue to thrive in the students, friends and family that became her life.