"Life's not the breaths you take, but the moments that take your breath away" paraphrased by George Strait

We all have moments we remember in our lives.

Eugene was part of one of those moments in my life.

Years ago I was photographing oilfields in Osage county in Oklahoma,
for a commercial client, and popped in a tape of Bill Moyers
called Language of Life.

Bill Moyers interviewed a number of poets, to get their take
on poetry and life. One of the tapes was an interview with
Coleman Barks. Coleman has been very intstrumental in translating
the writings of the Eastern mystic Rumi.

Well I had never heard of Rumi or Coleman Barks. All I can say is
I encourage you to get a copy of these interviews.

They changed my life.

The Paul Winter Consort provided some of the background music when
Coleman would read his translations of Rumi. Eugene's wonderful
cello often provided the music.

I listened to this tape over and over for several hours while I drove around
the oilfields. It was a day I will never forget. The combination
of Rumi, Coleman Barks and Eugene Friesen is hard to beat.

To have the chance to photograph Eugene several years later,
was a dream come true!