Aug16

shared humanity.

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photo by Michel Porro – Getty Images

(a reblog fr0m August in 2018)

—

in yet another amazing case of serendipity

i was at the school where i taught

(in the united states)

attending a professional development session

led by colleagues who were describing a wonderful project

they had undertaken with their older students.

during the last school year they had worked on design thinking projects

intended to help our world’s environment in some way.

throughout the process

their teachers provided the students

with a wide range of sources of information having to do with their area of interest.

 they passed around some of the sample articles they had used.

imagine my surprise when reading the random article that i was handed

when i saw the photographic credit on one of the pages

(that originated from another country)

realizing that i had a personal connection to it.

it read:

‘michel porro – getty images’ 

michel porro is a long time friend of mine who i happened to meet

when we were both working at the world cup in my city 24 years ago. (now, 32 years ago)

michel, at the time was a photojournalist from the netherlands, stationed in hong kong, working for reuters, and covering events all over the world. i was in advertising, taking time off to work in the media tent for the duration of the event. we met there when he came to pick up his credentials. we continued to run into each other in a variety of places, though we never had the chance to meet up outside of a working situation, try as we might.

we finally had the chance, on the last night before he was to leave to return to europe. we’d planned to meet after the last match was over and his story filed and chose a time and place. unfortunately brazil won the final match, leading to a chain of unusual events that ruined our last chance to meet, when they closed down the roads where i was, leaving us with no way to contact each other. (pre-cell phones). instead of exchanging phone numbers we had decided to share our addresses to stay in touch, figuring we’d meet that night.

since that time, (24 years ago), (now 32 years ago), he’s lived in different places and traveled the world as a photographer, finally settling in one place, starting his own photo business. i left advertising, went to grad school, changed careers, raised my daughters, became a teacher, still living in the states, and went on with my own life’s adventures. we’ve stayed pen pals, following what’s happened in each other’s lives, our careers, our relationships, news, and shared pictures. i wrote an earlier blog about our long distance and unlikely long term friendship and the link is below, but the photos have disappeared from the old post. i may try to find them again one day and add them back in.

—

https://ididnthavemyglasseson.com/2014/06/22/what-a-wonderful-thing-is-the-mail-capable-of-conveying-across-continents-a-warm-human-hand-clasp-author-unknown/

—

what a strange set of things fell into place

upon seeing his name on the photo credit on that day

years later

at a meeting at my school,

on a page i’d been handed randomly

selected by one of the teachers

for their student

 i had happened to notice the photo credit

—

i texted to tell him about my surprise.

he texted back surprised as well.

our paths continue to cross in the most interesting ways.

—

B Kennedy -to Michel

small world, Michel. 

Sent from my iPhone

——–

Michel Porro – to me

Wow Beth, that is amazing. Thank you so much for sharing. Boyat (the subject in the photo) is a quiet man with a big mission. 

I met him twice for 2 photoshoots.

How are you doing? I’m in Italy at the moment. The world is a turbulent place isn’t it?

You do good work.

Best

Michel

—

“this idea of shared humanity and the connections that we make with one another –

that’s what, in fact, makes life worth living.”

-clint smith

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45 responses »

  9. A lovely story, Beth. These friendships are the best and it’s wonderful that you and Michel have stayed in touch over the years – and what a delight it must’ve been to see his name unexpectedly that day on a photo credit!

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