Nick Sanford and I have been friends since high school. Yet like many others do, we constantly stay busy. This year I aim to change that; this is the first entry in “A Few of my Friends” photo series.
Nick came to visit me on a whim and we picked up where we left off the previous year. We discussed our passions; music, movies, and our ambitions. During this he picked up an acoustic guitar and started playing old country songs. As we ran through Johnny Cash and Garth Brooks, I could hear how much he had improved; singing had always been something he liked to do. In between songs he admitted “I haven’t played in so long!”
Nick is a filmmaker and I feel that that term cuts him short. Today, so many people pick up a camera wanting to make a movie, but Nick goes beyond that. Since I met him in 2007, Nick has never wavered from his passion. In fact, he’s one reason I got into film; he showed me a new way to express myself. He’s the reason I got my first camera and made a movie of my own. I still remember the first time I watched one of his films in our town library. From then on, movies have always been a special thing for me.
I asked him a few questions I’d like to share:
Me: “When was the last time we saw one another?”
Nick: “It was last July, I know before the 18th.”
M: “What’s the one thing you’ve learned since I’ve seen you last”?
N: (laughs) “That’s a tough one… Trust my own instincts better on everything.”
M: “What is your first memory of our friendship?”
N: “I didn’t like you. I was like, ‘Why is this kid following me?'”
I have always admired his unwavering ability to follow his dreams and work hard at achieving them. He is charismatic enough to make a room of people laugh or stare in confusion. Between movie quotes, impersonations of Jack Nicholson in The Shining, or Heath Leager as the Joker, Nick will have everyone rolling before too long. He embodies a character all on his own. On the flip side, Nick can easily have quiet conversations about life, love and happiness. He is a wise man and a true friend.
David McEntire 