This week I had a different sort of treat. I was photographing Steve McCabe MP at Westminster so I got to walk the corridors of power alongside him as I shadowed him through the day. And here’s the thing. Steve is someone who has had serious heart valve disease and has come back to his demanding role afterwards, looking in fine fettle, I think you’ll agree. And that’s why I was there.
I’ve been collaborating with the charity Heart Valve Voice this year as a judge on their national photography competition that’s designed to raise awareness of heart valve disease and to show there’s life (and how!) after treatment. Steve very generously offered himself as an example of someone who’s both had the treatment and then resumed his extremely demanding public role afterwards. And lucky me, I got to go and meet him and photograph him on the job for the day.
Humour me while I muse on my blessings. Of course I had the most amazing day. Steve was a beyond-generous host and a wonderfully informative and inspiring companion. It was an immense privilege (and fun!) for me to be behind the scenes and to get a glimpse of a jobbing MP’s life at Westminster. Someone asked me a couple of days ago what my goals were in my work right now. And I had to say I’ve ditched the whole notion of goals. And of course I know that I’m super-lucky to be in a position to be able to do so and that this is something to do with being both fortunate and, if not ‘old’, older. I’m kinda letting it take me where it will. And look where it took me last Tuesday. So I’m feeling very lucky, as I say.
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