The story of how this image came to be is not to be believed, but that's for another day.

Cory and I met several years ago when I was working at Willink Middle School.  We just kind of hit it off.  When I needed a few models to participate in a photography education event held by the Greater Rochester Professional Photographers organization, Cory was ready and willing to help me out  We've been friends ever since and have had many a conversation about fun things to do in Rochester, great restaurants and what we did over the weekend. What's so cool about our relationship is that he's my son's age, but we operate as friends instead of a mom/son thing. 

As this photography project began, I knew that I wanted a diverse group of people to participate in sharing their stories.  I felt that Cory would be a great addition. After conversation and several months of considering image ideas, we honed in on this concept that really does justice to the struggles he's been going through. 

In his words:

Crossroads

An Introspective Vignette

Success is certain.

But only when the path to the top is clearly defined.

Each milestone perfectly staggered, building off each other to propel you onto the next big thing.

As a society, we have mapped this progression out for our adolescents. You know what needs to be done to get ahead.

License, check; Graduate from high school, check; Get accepted into college, check. Graduate from college, check.

First “real” job, check. First apartment, check. Get a Master’s Degree, check.

What they don’t tell you is that the milestones become less frequent, more loosely defined, and then all together stop.

Who do you become when there is nowhere left to go and nothing left to check off?

The path no longer has the appropriate signage and trailheads. It’s not freshly paved. You start to encounter the forks in the roads a little more often, forced to pick a direction.

Eventually those forks become full-blown, four-way crossroads and to check off another milestone takes a leap of faith.

Here I stand now, 26 years old, a novella of milestones and check marks behind me and no idea what direction I will go in next. Overwhelmed. Apprehensive. Lost.

No matter the path I take, I know one thing:

Success is certain.

Cory Gomez

Teacher on Special Assignment

Webster Thomas and Schroeder High Schools

If you enjoyed this story, check out my other stories on previous posts and be sure to find out about the original idea HERE .  Oh yeah, be sure to leave a comment too!