While I'm sure Mason Doty and his family would rather not have waited this long to see his senior images for the first time, as it turns out, I get to deliver a birthday present.
Happy Birthday, Mr. Doty!
Grinnell senior, Mason Doty turns eighteen today. And Stewart Photography sends out our gift in the form of Jpgs.
Convinced for the longest time that this entire process of senior pictures was even necessary, long time friend and former high school classmate of the photographer's wife, Kori Doty, convinced her son that this would be a worthwhile endeavor.
I told Mason that I would try to minimize his torture, and if I could get him to tell Mama Kori on the way home that it wasn't as bad as he thought it was gonna be... then I was doing my job.
I think I found out the reason why Mason didn't want to pause for even a second to do senior pictures.
That reason?
It's because he's busy. WAY busy.
A four-sport athlete for Grinnell High School, he's not just going through the motions there.... He's busy winning... And winning a lot.
This kids lists of accomplishments not even half way through his senior campaign is impressive. State in basketball last year. State in the 3200 in track. His sophomore year saw the Tigers go 26-5 and be state ranked in baseball... and for good measure... after playing football on Grinnell's perennial playoff football team early in his high school career... he's since traded in his cleats for cross country spikes... and all he did there was finish 10th in Class 3A a couple weeks back.
Dude.
After seeing his mother and I's alma mater go through it's unfair share of hardships in athletics the past several years, we tried to assure Mason that going to state in ANY sport (much less EVERY one) isn't just a God-given right. Even though maybe it seems that way to him.
What I've tried to get through to my own kids is that "trying really hard" doesn't make you special... and I think Mr. Doty has that figured out. Sure it takes lots of work... and extra work... and then some MORE work on top of that. Add in some great coaching... some special teammates and a healthy dose of athletic blessings from the Lord... and you get what you have here, which are a LOT of Iowa Boys High School Athletic Association banners hanging in the gym at Grinnell High.
Naturally, then, we had to create a sports collage worthy of such a talent. It was hard cramming in so much awesomeness... but I was happy with the result. In the meantime... we dodged the raindrops to get the "necessary evil" images done for his mom... we shared lots of old stories from back in the day... lamented the fact that we actually have kids that are old enough to graduate (or soon will be!), and Mason even got the story about how much his mom looked like my wife by in high school that I nearly got slapped on multiple occasions from almost mistakenly grabbing her in a place that is normally reserved just for your significant other.
Almost.
Whew. :)
I've yet to hear back from Kori whether Mason did actually break down and admit that senior pictures weren't the torture chamber he expected this to be... Regardless... Everyone here at Stewart Photography wishes you a happy 18th, Mason. And I would be remiss if I didn't thank Kori for helping out my wife with words of encouragement in our time of grieving over the loss of her father. Kori, too, went thru this type of loss far too soon, and hearing advice from someone who has walked through the same steps is always comforting... Ironically, Mason and his Grandpa Brush shared a birthday... he would have been 63 today... so this is indeed a special albeit bittersweet day for the Doty/Brush families. I didn't plan on Mason's blog falling on this day for you... but I'm glad that it did.
Thanks Team Doty.
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