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“Photography is 50% photographer, 40% light, and 10% equipment.”

The above quote is from a ubiquitous photography website. I do not know who said it, but I like it. It reminds me of the ”90% perspiration and 10% inspiration” quote.

I am looking forward to going home. I miss my friends, family, and honestly, despite the current economic situation, and all things being relative, I am missing the abundance and ease of the United States. As the numbers show, we are still the biggest with the most. I do not mean to offend anyone with this statement, but it is true. We are also the most tolerant, most devoted to personal freedom, and most likely to continue on that path. Other countries may be equally forward thinking on some fronts, but they tend to suffer on others. In the US we can be easily led as well. But I think the people of the US is still on a committed path of change and growth.

Many countries assume freedom and liberty will be granted to them once the right person is in power, handed out like a bus pass. This rarely happens. In the US our tendency is to fight against the current paradigm in some fashion, whatever it is. Disagreeing is not a crime even though some government people would like to make it so. A couple hundred million people will fight that idea–and they vote (when they feel like it).

So my pledge has nothing to do with the above anthro-political statement. It has to do with my decision to take fewer but better pictures; to try to capture the human moment on film.

That’s it.

Well…I was right. Nada, from The Klub, sabotaged the meeting by telling the director of the Social Services Center that since it was too hot, July, etc…That the meeting would not be held. This means, of course, that she thinks that she is organizing the meeting. Bullshit.

A couple of phone calls later and we had arranged for someone the open the gates and the door, which were padlocked and barricaded. I mean really padlocked and barricaded. So Janet and I, with the two interpreters went in and held the meeting. Four other people showed up–a family, actually. The husband is an Irishman who is in the program and who I knew was coming. His Croatian wife, her elderly mother, and her brother were in tow. The brother had been in a ‘therapeutic community’ for drug addiction and had dropped out after 18 months. For this he is now ostracized by the ‘therapeutic community’ and is not allowed to contact them, or return. The mother is dealing with an angry drunk of a husband at home, and the daughter just wants someone else to deal with the problems. These three were the focus of our qualifications.

I was shocked to discover that this young fellow was being shunned by those seeking treatment or offering it. I was not shocked, however, by the realization that the whole family is under the impression that they can be ‘cured’ and can be happy without continued support. This is the kind of denial that permeates the ‘recovery’ field here. Also, that there is someone out there who is going to hand them a panacea of some sort to solve their problems without them getting off their asses and doing anything themselves.

This is one of the horrible realities of the post-Yugoslavian world. They have been duped, lied to, and manipulated by their corrupt leaders and turned into sheep to be driven around the field.
Not all the people here are like that. Those that have been able to leave for a period of time and return are the ones that shake their heads in disbelief, or they take advantage of the weak and prosper financially and politically at their expense.

Anyway, I’ll stay sober. After that we all drove to the small town of Stolac (Sto-lats) and visited a wonderful family. The two youngest, Nikola (41) and his sister Treza (43) have Muscular Dystrophy. Their 74 year old mother suffered a major stroke last August and the local ‘doctor’ told her that she would be dead in two months. She’s better than ever. The whole family is doing well and the visit was a very positive and uplifting event for me. We are arranging for their firewood for the winter, which is how they heat their cozy and simple home in the mountains of Herzegovina. They have no money, but they have a lot of faith. They are happy, joyous, and free in their own way.

Just when I think I have lost all hope in these people, my feelings are turned around by such moments.

So screw Nada, The Klub, and their outdated and fearful program. Screw the draconian and deeply flawed ‘therapeutic communities’ that destroy the self and push those who do not obey out into the cold of addiction and pain. My program of recovery has only one requirement for membership…The desire to stop drinking. Those that leave rehab early are welcome at my meetings with open arms. Because of this I will not drink today.

Johnnyboy