How avoidance turned into a passion—Ken Griffey Jr.
Sometimes the hiding place becomes the passion
It’s Masters week. Golf and non-golf folk alike know what’s happening at Augusta National, Georgia.
Avoiding the mainline narratives, I found this brilliant byline on their YouTube channel—Ken Griffey Jr., granted media access to last year’s Masters as an official photographer. Griffey Jr. was #24 behind the lens. (Link to the video below.)
His other passion was baseball. The sweetest swing in baseball history. 630 home runs, 10 Gold Gloves, 13 All-Star selections. He revitalised the game in the 1990s with an infectious smile and a style that inspired an entire generation.
And now? He takes photos. How does that follow?
Melissa, Griffey’s wife, explained that for her husband not to be harassed at their children’s sports events, he needed a distraction, a camera. To the other parents, he was just another obsessive dad taking endless shots when he should have been watching. In reality, he was hiding. And from that hiding place, a passion was born.
What struck me most—without spoiling the watch—was how humble and almost apologetic Griffey Jr. was in a foreign environment. How vulnerable he allowed himself to be when surrounded by people whose knowledge surpassed his. Never once did he reference baseball, or his stellar career.
You never know what you might find. Enjoy the watch.
Nick
Links:
Photographer No. 24: Ken Griffey Jr. at the Masters
A note: the 365-day commitment starts Tuesday, April 14. We're live then.