max s. gerber(the latest shot)

i met up with tashena this morning at starbucks near the ocean. i’ve been meaning to catch up with her for weeks, as i feel great attachment to her and her family. tashena is micah’s sister, and appears in the hearts book as a 14 year old. amazing to think it’s been that long.

the impetus for my visit with tashena was so that i could give her a copy of the book. i have to say that i’m always nervous in these circumstances. i spent so much time with these families, they were all so generous in how they allowed me into their lives, and since then i’ve spent most days surrounded by the pictures of them. in one sense they’ll always be kids to me, but it’s also been wonderful to see them now as teenagers, as adults even. i really hope that they like the final result of all these pictures and all my intrusions with tape recorders.

tashena recently graduated from brooks, and is a photographer in her own right. if you get the chance, do yourself a favor and look at her blog here. i think it’d be presumptuous of me to assume that i had anything to do with her becoming a photographer. in fact, while we were doing these today she mentioned that she used to hate when i made her sit for pictures as a teenager. sorry, tashena. i thought it was important to do. i hope you don’t mind them now.

tashena also said she thought she looked like her father, and that’s true. but looking at these new pictures i’m seeing a lot of micah in her face, too. (that’s micah with my lightmeter, below, in january, 2000)

she just sent me an email, before i even got home (it’s a long way from marina del rey to pasadena). she said, in part:

“I read the section on Micah. You’re right, my dad did have some amazing things to say. I hope that when he read what he had said, it made him remember who he wants to be. I’m excited to read the rest of it. It means a lot to have it.

Sometimes I get so caught up in my problems in life that I forget to try and be more like Micah was… Sometimes I forget that life is all about being happy in everything that you do. Of course, this is easier said than done.”

in all these things i can’t seem to express well enough to the hearts families how grateful i am to them, how indebted i feel. so for now, ’til i figure out how to say it better, thanks, tashena.