enlightened.

aaronsanders[head]

the story: aaron and i went to middle school and high school together, but we didn't meet until my sophomore (his junior) year. i was in the hallway alone one day, he walked out of a nearby classroom and fell right on his face. there was weird eye contact and stifled laughter, and then we both scurried away. one day we finally talked about it and unknowingly began a significant friendship.

your [soundtrack]: my four favorite albums are tapestry by carole king, the execution of all things by rilo kiley, backyard tent set by caroline smith + the goodnight sleeps, and advisory committee by mirah. right now it's cold, and i like things that sound warm, so things like ray lamontagne and first aid kit and neko case and laura marling are perfect.

your [script]: lost in translation and heathers.

your [rough draft]: extremely loud + incredibly close and everything is illuminated (by jonathan safran foer). they change how one read books and how one expresses everything. my favorite thing was borrowing your copy of everything is illuminated because you had already written so much in it. my other favorite books is no one belongs here more than you by miranda july.

your [shade]: i like mustard yellow and the color of these pants i wear all the time and i can't decide whether it's green or brown.

your [inspiration]: everyone i'm surrounded by. and 90s grunge.

words to [live] by: you cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness. [jonathan safran foer]

look at the sky: that is for you. look at each person's face as you pass on the street: those faces are for you. and the street itself, and the ground under the street, and the ball of fire underneath the ground: all these things are for you. they are as much for you as they are for other people. remember this when you wake up in the morning and think you have nothing. [miranda july]

you [love]: my brother, getting cards in the mail, and keeping in touch. 

you [hate]: impatient people.

your [purpose]: this over-legitimizes what i do, but to use photography to make people happy by reminding them of things they'd forgotten or didn't notice.

you [believe]: everyone's got a place and everyone has people. it's just a matter of finding them.

your [escape]: bad television. right now it's buffy the vampire slayer season 2 and season 1 of the o.c. and law and order: uk.

your [origins]: i'm from montgomery, alabama. i was never very defensive of it until the past few years, and now i get really offended when people insult the south. there's so much to all of this red dirt that people don't realize.

your [fonest] memory: my sister's wedding. it was pretty recent, only in this past october, but i just remember being so happy the entire time. weddings are wonderful because almost everyone is in a good mood the entire time. i remember thinking that it would be one of the last times for a while that my brother, sister and i would all get to hang out, and it was the best way to say a sort of "goodbye" to them. my other favorite memory is from long before that. i apparently had a lot of trouble remembering which shoe went on which foot, so my mother took my keds and painted lips on one side of the shoes and a baseball and a bat on the other side. when i would put the shoes on the right feet, the lips would kiss and the bat and the baseball would be on opposite sides. i thought she was a genius.

your biggest [challenge]: to not become a cynical person. it's a constant challenge for a lot of people, i think.

you wish to [meet]: jezebel, annie leibovitz, my great-grandmother.

[proudest] moment: i don't really want to pick that yet. i feel like when you pick a proudest moment, you sort of start to compare everything to that, and i want to do such greater things than what i've done thus far! 

your most [embarrassing] moment: i have embarrassing moments on a daily basis. i never know what to say to people i've just met, and i always end up saying an awkward joke or my voice cracks and i make a weird noise or something.

your childhood [ambition]: i wanted to have a veterinary clinic called aaron's ark. really.

 you want to [be]: someone to be proud of, someone who's completely spent at the end of all of this, someone good and memorable.

your [wildest dream]:  to be able to live in a city with people i love, be able to work as a photographer to support myself, own an art management firm.

your [pet peeves]: people who eat loudly.

your [website]: i'm working on a website S Y R U P + H O N E Y right now, which is is going to have most of my photography, sketches and writing on it. i've gotten behind on finishing it since i just moved, but once i finish it i'll expect you to profile and promote it extensively, obviously. until then i have tumblr.com/syrup-honey.

your [last purchase]: some incense, some skim milk, and a ticket to a Lissie concert.

your [location]:  i live in tuscaloosa and am in school here, and i love it. i've got a nice little apartment that's the perfect size for me and i live in the same city as the happiest, best people, and we're documenting all of it all along, all in different ways.

[surprise] us: i'm always fluent on current slang.

[describe] yourself: basic. 

aaron, you are sugar -- something sweet that makes everything a little better. we are blood brothers and soul mates and kindred spirits. you have a beautiful heart and i love every bit of it -- the expressiveness, honesty, compassion, and sass. every memory i share with you is as pretty as a picture, and i treasure each one deeply. you are an artist, an original, and an adventurer. thanks for letting me tag along as you trail-blaze ... and for always driving, of course. i'm glad you fell. stay sweet, honey child.

you are [delightful].