So, a few weeks ago, a photographer started encouraging her fellow photographers to post 8 things about themselves that many might not know.
Delaney Holliman tagged me this week. I've put a great deal of thought into this, so here goes.
1. My name would have been April Michelle if my mom had her wish. She wanted a girl, and wouldn't even consider a boys' names while she was pregnant. So, when I was born, my parent's had no idea what to name me. My dad was wearing a MIA bracelet that he had purchased a few years earlier. It was inscribed "LT. NEAL WARD 6-13-69" They thought it made for a good name and thus I was dubbed Neal Ward Carpenter. Years later I "stole" the bracelet from my dad, and I have worn it every day since. I visited the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC when I was a kid, and made a rubbing of his name on the wall. I'm visiting DC in October and plan to do it again. Here is a picture of
Neal. He is 2nd from the right in the back row.
The funny part is my mom has 3 sons...no daughters.
2. My 15 minutes came when I was 5 years old. I was featured on Channel 13 participating in a frog jumping contest at the Battle of Byron. Oddly enough, the frog didn't move. I think that is why I was chosen...and who can resist a red head.
3. I have a talent for making very realistic goat noises. I think I even fool the goats.
4. I pride myself on being willing to try almost any food. BUT, I believe that there are 4 perfect food groups. Bread, Cheese, Pickles, and Mustard. It is hard to explain, but if you want proof, have a Cuban sandwich. It is all 4 food groups plus pork two ways (roast pork and ham). Pork would be the 5th, but I think that kinda goes without saying.
5. I've known my wife since we were 10 years old. Our birthdays are only 34 days apart (she is older). We even graduated together. BUT, we didn't start dating until we were in college. She blames me for that.
6. I got married in a Baptist church owned by the federal government. We got married in a 150 year old church on the side of a mountain in the Cherokee National Forest in North Carolina. We saw it while we were dating, and thought it would be a great idea. I'm not sure our parents agree.
7. I've had a wide variety of jobs. My first job was baby sitting. Then I moved "up" to fast food. That only lasted 9 days. I also worked as a cook and a manager at two different Italian restaurants. I worked at a warehouse in college during the summers. Then I worked as an editor of Air Force instruction manuals (It was really boring). I worked for Wolf Camera for many years before having the opportunity to work as a photographer full time.
Needless to say, I've had a "real" job, and I don't want to go back.
8. Lastly, I photographed Vice President Dick Cheney once. He visited Macon a few years ago for a fund raiser. I photographed him arriving at the airport. His plane landed, Cheney emerged from the plane, and he got into his limo. That was it. What makes it memorable was all the waiting and searches. The Secret Service is thorough.
