653/700 - Aidan
I had just left class and was returning to my bicycle when I saw him standing in front of the Student Union building on campus, talking with friends and holding a Nikon camera. I was immediately drawn to his interesting appearance. Tall and slender, he was not dressed in the usual student attire but wore, instead, a suit coat, a polka dot dress shirt, and a colorful clown-patterned necktie. I sensed immediately that he would be an interesting stranger to meet and he didn’t seem rushed so I approached him and started the conversation.
He listened attentively and my explanation must have been a bit unclear because he informed me he is not really a photographer but was just holding the camera for a fellow student. I clarified that I was inviting him to be a subject, at which time he said “Sure, I’d be glad to.” I said I would do it here and now and that my camera was in the messenger bag on my shoulder. We shook hands. Meet Aidan, a first year Journalism student at the downtown Toronto University.
It was late afternoon and with the cloudy sky and the recent change to daylight savings time, the flat light was quickly fading so time was of the essence. I showed Aidan the space between buildings and told him that I had photographed a couple of Journalism students close to this location within the last week. He laughed and said “We like to hang out at the Student Union.”
The more Aidan heard about 100 Strangers, the more interested and motivated he became. He told me he was nervous about holding his friend’s expensive camera and said he wanted to take it into the building and leave it where it would be safe which gave me a minute to check my camera settings on this dull day. The rest was straightforward. I wanted more light to reach Aidan’s eyes and he helped me by holding the reflector but in the end I’m not sure there was a lot for it to reflect. I liked his expression which was a combination of alert and serious. It went nicely with his put-together look which combined formal with a bit of whimsy.
We sat down on a nearby ledge to converse after I had taken a few frames and I learned that Aidan, who is 19, is from a town outside of Toronto. When I asked how he likes the Journalism program so far and he said emphatically “I love it. It has given me a purpose for the first time in my life.” When I asked him to clarify his meaning he gave his response careful thought before saying “It has given me a focus for my obsessions. I love to delve into things and learn all about them and I think Journalism will be a good fit for me.”
When I commented on Aidan’s stylishly unique look he said “I’m careful about how I present myself in public; I want people to see me the way I see myself.” When I asked how he sees himself, he again paused in thought. “I’m a bit of an eccentric and I suppose it’s a bit of a contradiction to what I’ve just told you but I don’t dress to be noticed; I dress to reflect who I am.” I could tell that my initial sense that Aidan would be an interesting young man to meet had proven accurate.
Aiden inquired more about 100 Strangers and looked at the contact card I had given him. I explained how I had become involved and told him about the international aspect of the project and he was very interested. He could hear my enthusiasm which was clearly matched by his own. He commented “Your project sounds great and I really like it. It encourages people to connect that never would have connected and I find you a very interesting person too. The project doesn’t allow people to blend into the skyline of the city.”
I asked Aidan if he has had any unusual life experiences he would like to share with the project and he appeared somewhat lost in thought. I apologized for making him work so hard and he replied “No, I’m just deciding what would be a worthwhile response to your excellent question.” He then proceeded to tell me that he had grown up feeling like an “outsider” and as if everyone else understood the secrets of life but him. He said “I had a lot of social anxiety but things changed for me at the age of 16 when I fell seriously ill and was hospitalized for three weeks, wondering what was going to happen to me. It was a very tough ideal but in the end I survived and the experience put some things in perspective for me. I no longer spend so much time worrying about how others see me and feel more a part of the world.”
Aidan went on to tell me he has a friend now who is facing a health crisis and using his own life experience, Aidan has been able to tell him with conviction “I think you’re going to get through it and I know you’re going to love the person who survives it.” I felt the depth of feeling in Aidan’s words to his friend and coming from someone who has “been there” I’m sure they will have a very positive impact.
Aidan had class work to do and I needed to get home before it became totally dark so we started to wrap up what had been a fascinating 100 Strangers meeting. He said he would like to find out more about the project and would I consider letting him interview me in the future so he could write it up for a project or article and I said I would be glad to. When I checked if I could tell his story with is photo because I found his overcoming illness and social anxiety could help empower others he said “I appreciate your being so careful with what I’ve shared but I wouldn’t have told you if I objected to your including it.”
I look forward to meeting with Aidan again in the future to talk about the project but I forgot to get his email to send him his photo. I trust he will contact me at the email on the contact card I gave him.
Thank you Aidan, for taking the time to meet and for participating in 100 Strangers. You are Stranger #653 in Round 7 of my project. Good luck in your studies - and in life.
Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by the other photographers in our group at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page.
653/700 - Aidan
I had just left class and was returning to my bicycle when I saw him standing in front of the Student Union building on campus, talking with friends and holding a Nikon camera. I was immediately drawn to his interesting appearance. Tall and slender, he was not dressed in the usual student attire but wore, instead, a suit coat, a polka dot dress shirt, and a colorful clown-patterned necktie. I sensed immediately that he would be an interesting stranger to meet and he didn’t seem rushed so I approached him and started the conversation.
He listened attentively and my explanation must have been a bit unclear because he informed me he is not really a photographer but was just holding the camera for a fellow student. I clarified that I was inviting him to be a subject, at which time he said “Sure, I’d be glad to.” I said I would do it here and now and that my camera was in the messenger bag on my shoulder. We shook hands. Meet Aidan, a first year Journalism student at the downtown Toronto University.
It was late afternoon and with the cloudy sky and the recent change to daylight savings time, the flat light was quickly fading so time was of the essence. I showed Aidan the space between buildings and told him that I had photographed a couple of Journalism students close to this location within the last week. He laughed and said “We like to hang out at the Student Union.”
The more Aidan heard about 100 Strangers, the more interested and motivated he became. He told me he was nervous about holding his friend’s expensive camera and said he wanted to take it into the building and leave it where it would be safe which gave me a minute to check my camera settings on this dull day. The rest was straightforward. I wanted more light to reach Aidan’s eyes and he helped me by holding the reflector but in the end I’m not sure there was a lot for it to reflect. I liked his expression which was a combination of alert and serious. It went nicely with his put-together look which combined formal with a bit of whimsy.
We sat down on a nearby ledge to converse after I had taken a few frames and I learned that Aidan, who is 19, is from a town outside of Toronto. When I asked how he likes the Journalism program so far and he said emphatically “I love it. It has given me a purpose for the first time in my life.” When I asked him to clarify his meaning he gave his response careful thought before saying “It has given me a focus for my obsessions. I love to delve into things and learn all about them and I think Journalism will be a good fit for me.”
When I commented on Aidan’s stylishly unique look he said “I’m careful about how I present myself in public; I want people to see me the way I see myself.” When I asked how he sees himself, he again paused in thought. “I’m a bit of an eccentric and I suppose it’s a bit of a contradiction to what I’ve just told you but I don’t dress to be noticed; I dress to reflect who I am.” I could tell that my initial sense that Aidan would be an interesting young man to meet had proven accurate.
Aiden inquired more about 100 Strangers and looked at the contact card I had given him. I explained how I had become involved and told him about the international aspect of the project and he was very interested. He could hear my enthusiasm which was clearly matched by his own. He commented “Your project sounds great and I really like it. It encourages people to connect that never would have connected and I find you a very interesting person too. The project doesn’t allow people to blend into the skyline of the city.”
I asked Aidan if he has had any unusual life experiences he would like to share with the project and he appeared somewhat lost in thought. I apologized for making him work so hard and he replied “No, I’m just deciding what would be a worthwhile response to your excellent question.” He then proceeded to tell me that he had grown up feeling like an “outsider” and as if everyone else understood the secrets of life but him. He said “I had a lot of social anxiety but things changed for me at the age of 16 when I fell seriously ill and was hospitalized for three weeks, wondering what was going to happen to me. It was a very tough ideal but in the end I survived and the experience put some things in perspective for me. I no longer spend so much time worrying about how others see me and feel more a part of the world.”
Aidan went on to tell me he has a friend now who is facing a health crisis and using his own life experience, Aidan has been able to tell him with conviction “I think you’re going to get through it and I know you’re going to love the person who survives it.” I felt the depth of feeling in Aidan’s words to his friend and coming from someone who has “been there” I’m sure they will have a very positive impact.
Aidan had class work to do and I needed to get home before it became totally dark so we started to wrap up what had been a fascinating 100 Strangers meeting. He said he would like to find out more about the project and would I consider letting him interview me in the future so he could write it up for a project or article and I said I would be glad to. When I checked if I could tell his story with is photo because I found his overcoming illness and social anxiety could help empower others he said “I appreciate your being so careful with what I’ve shared but I wouldn’t have told you if I objected to your including it.”
I look forward to meeting with Aidan again in the future to talk about the project but I forgot to get his email to send him his photo. I trust he will contact me at the email on the contact card I gave him.
Thank you Aidan, for taking the time to meet and for participating in 100 Strangers. You are Stranger #653 in Round 7 of my project. Good luck in your studies - and in life.
Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by the other photographers in our group at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page.