No regrets

Anyone who really knows me, knows that I have been heavily influenced by samurai philosophy since my early 20's. In an era when I once felt quite lost, Miyamoto Musashi's Book of Five Rings felt like the only thing that I had to truly cling to. Not only did it show me the way when I had none, it has illuminated a path from which I have never strayed.

Within that philosophy, it is said that a samurai must imagine his death a thousand times. It is understood that to confront death, and to accept it, is to deny it the power it would otherwise hold over you.

In this light, despite my best intentions and my best efforts, I have start to imagine that this gallery venture may be more short-lived than I would like. I mean, if the odds weren't stacked against me when I signed the contract, they sure as hell are stacked against me now. At the end of the day, it's all comes down to money, and unless a miracle happens, mine had just about run out. From a financial perspective, in short, I am fucked.

Strangely, I feel remarkably at peace with it all.

Nobody wants to lose that kind of money I've already put into this place, least of all me, but even if I spend the nest 2 years paying the price of my impulses, I feel a certain peace in knowing that, whatever happens, failure won't be for a lack of trying (even if ill-conceived!).

In the meantime, however, I obviously intend to put every last ounce of effort into making this opening the best it can possibly be. Where it goes from there, is at least partially out of my hands. Simply put, if there is demand within the Prague photo community to use the space to it's full potential, then the space will live. If, however, this whole venture has been nothing more than a vanity project designed only to satisfy myself, then it will not.

Between this coming Saturday and the pending Kickstarter campaign, many questions will be answered. We shall see where it goes from there. Whatever happens, whether it's successful or not, at least I get to live without regret.