Experiences in life, translated…
Up until now, I still had NO clue as to why Tiger asked me to be the photographer at his grandmother’s funeral.
Tiger was an older schoolmate, on the basketball courts, he’d behaved like a tiger out of cage, and at other times, he’d become very active, very jumpy, very down-to-earth, like Tigger in Winnie the Pooh, and would visit the older and younger classmates’ dormitories from time to time, to show his care and concern for his team members. And so, when Tiger asked me to help out, I’d said yes right away, I just didn’t expect that it was for me, to work as a photographer at his grandmother’s wake.
“My dad said he didn’t want that many people to know about it, just have someone I trusted to come and help out is enough.”, I’d recalled him telling me when he’d asked me to help out.
On the day of the funeral, I’d taken this fearful and careful heart to the Taipei Funeral Homes. It was drizzling light out, with the skies grayed. After Tiger introduced me to his family members, he’d handed me a Nikon camera that’s for professional uses.
“The funeral starts in the afternoon, why don’t the two of you go and get some packed lunch first.”, Tiger’s dad told us kindly.
I’d followed behind Tiger, got my lunch, sat in the guest rooms of the funeral home, ate while we waited. It was a very fulfilled packed lunch, but, I couldn’t recall what items I’d eaten that day at all, just recalled how there was white chrysanthemum all around me, paper lotuses, as well as a very majestic Buddha statue. Everybody is in black, with the sorrowful looks.
The funeral had begun, Tiger and his family put on the mourning robes, with the thick linens on their chests, I’d also picked up the camera in front of me, and started photographing the process. I’d stood, far off, at the entrance of the door of the funeral home, through the lenses, I’d adjusted the distances, then, clicked the shutters, to record down this majestic atmosphere, and, how the families and relatives appeared, and done the rituals to give the grandmother her final respects.
The way that Tiger and his family felt so sorrowful that day, I can still see it very clearly, especially for Tiger’s dad, a moment before, he was still handling the odds and ends of the funeral, and the very next moment, he’d become a child who was crying so very hard, because his mother died.
After the rituals of everybody going up to Tiger’s grandmother’s coffin to offer her/his final respects were over, the funeral services were finished. And, the originally decorated with white chrysanthemum auditorium, got taken down, the white strips of paper, the yellow seats, as well as the red carpeting, all taken out, it was, as if, nothing had happened.
Up to here, I’d all of a sudden understood, WHY Tiger had me as a photographer, he’d needed someone who won’t be affected by the loss of a member of the family, so I can take the perspective of a mere observer, to record all of this down, to leave a mark, for the one who’d passed away. Tiger and his family didn’t want to forget about this day, and I never wanted to forget how he and his family allowed themselves to melt down, to let their emotions show.
Later on, I’d heard, that Tiger’s father loved the photos I took of that day, and I’m also, more than grateful toward them, for giving me this chance, to be a part of this meaningful, heartfelt funeral.
It’s clear why this person was asked to be the photographer on his friend’s grandmother’s funeral, because his friend knew that he could take the perspective of JUST an observer, to not get affected by the emotions that surrounded the death of the member of the family, and, this was a special experience that this narrator had had too.
Life, the Obstacle Course 