Reflections on a year of trash.

As I wrote on January 1st 2011:
Inspired by Noah Scalin's new book, 365: A Daily Creativity Journal I'm going to try to write something here every day for the next year. Whether it's a rant, a photo I took that day, fact-checking some crazy statement I read online, a list of tabs I have open in Firefox that I really will get around to reading someday, or something more substantial.

While I had hopes to do more writing than I did, with this post I complete 365 days of posts -- most of them photos and most of the photos fitting the theme of trash or discarded items.

It has been a very interesting experience. As I wrote on Jan 3rd:
My father died at the end of October and one of the only things I shared with him was an enjoyment of photography. Wandering around the City with his camera has been an important ritual for me since his camera became mine. We were not all that close; he put in the effort to visit me 4, maybe 5 times in the past 27 years. Despite that distance, his death hit me rather hard and had a far deeper impact on me than I would have ever imagined possible. He might not have ever come to see the apartment that Jenna and I are so happy to be living in; he might never have given me the chance to take him on a tour of ABC No Rio; I was never able to get him to see my world, but now his camera will see it all for him.

On that front -- making some peace with the memory of my father -- I think I did rather well. I'm ok with my emotions about him, it was a revalation when it occured to me that coming to terms with him and being at peace with the loss did not mean I could not still be angry and disappointed.

Having something that I committed to do every day, no matter what, was a great thing. Even in March when I was so sick I could not sit up for more than 5 mintues at a time I managed to get my ass up long enough to post something here. Forcing myself to spend at least a little time each day on something creative, something that had no greater purpose and no great ramifications proved to be one of the most healthy things I have ever done.

The disipline of the daily photo, I am convinced, had something to do with how well I was able to integrate the disipline of running into my rutine. The sanity that resulted from this all is more than I expected.

I've taken 5,008 photos this year of those, 643 were posted here, of those there are a couple dozen I'm really happy with. Tomorrow I'll post my "best of the year in trash" collection.

To the handful of friends (and a few strangers) that have keept up with my posts, thanks for your time. I've got an idea for a less intensive project for 2012 -- details to come.

and now, the final day's flood of photos: