a little about me from Klondike
 

An important message from Klondike :)

i have been here a long time and feel a connection to so many of you here that I thought i would share a few things about my life since I never talk about it.

Over the past few years I have had some serious ups and downs with my health and job and once again a crossroads is looming which I will need to deal with. Here goes...

Back in the old days, I was never much given to talking as a kid. I had to be prodded and poked, and usually prefered to just stare at the ground or at my food or whatever rather than say anything. Back then, they called it shyness, but now they have different terms. Selective muteness is one. Autism is another. Yes, I am autistic and today can hardly speak. If you were to run into me at an event holding a camera, we would not be able to have a conversation. That is a fact and I think only Fango knows anything about this. This is good news for you all, because the lack of social interaction frees me up to surf the web, post pics, etc. But everywhere else in my life, I struggle a great deal. I am smart enough to hold a job, but not being able to talk can be frusturating for my coworkers. I can stammer through life when I have to, order food, gas, pizza, etc. But I am virtually unemployable if my current job were to go away. Disability is the only option. So.......but circumstances are such that I may retire soon, and when that happens i will be sucked out into the void with no support, no job (I am mid 50's) and little hope. The rest goes like this...

When I was a kid, i played the piano and drew pictures. I dreamed of being an artist or a composer. I played the French Horn well enough to be told i could play in a major symphony. But later i went to college, got a masters degree, and tried to forget about these dreams to satisfy my parents. But of course I never did. Today, I have really come to enjoy photography, and if you visit my photostream at Flickr (user DavinS06) you will note that since taking up the camera to photograph nudes at events, I have tried my hand at more serious work too. So maybe I'm just a late bloomer, and at 56, have finally found my calling in life. i don't know. Being a composer would be cool too, but hey - lets get real :) Anyway, the reason i am writing is for your support and encouragement to continue taking photographs, both nudes and other. Tell me you like my pics, or even if you don't, say something nice about them anyway :) Cheer me up, in otherwords, and maybe I'll be around for another ten years or so to open my own Public Nudity Hall of Fame, auction my incomprehensibly vast collection of pics, and travel the world seeking out the best beaches, events and nudes for you all to feast your eyes on. It can happen, or i can go up in smoke. Autism is often accompanied by obsessive compulsive traits, anger, schizophrenia and other disorders. I have my share. Obsessive I am, for example, but I hope you have appreciated how i have put that obsessiveness to good use here. So thats all i got to say, and if any of you are hiding similar stories of autistic tendencies, geekiness, dreams gone awry, social awkwardness, loneliness, etc. feel free to respond. Otherwise, I'm taking my usual late winter hiatus from OCC while gearing up for the busy spring. So, all I want you all to do is thank this post and a thanks from each of you i will interpret as your way of saying something like "YOU ARE A BORN PHOTOGRAPHER, KLONDIKE - HOW SILLY YOU SHOULD EVER HAVE CONSIDERED ANYTHING ELSE!!"

we'll see how it goes....here is the link to my Flickr stream:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davins06/

cheers to all and someday I'll get around to downloading all of these great new pics that have been posted over the past month or so..

Kondike

Klondike me mate....geesus how does one seriously respond to that.
Knowing nothing about this condition, and going by your past posts which are mostly articulate, i never had an inkling.

Well as they say "Every cloud has a silver lining" and in your case i doubt without this condition if you would've ventured down the photography path to this extent, and thus bringing delight & enjoyment to thousands and more importantly to yourself as well.
Your photography is that good that i actually thought you were cheekily hiding your past from everyone...That, being of a skilled photographer working for some mag in your early days.

Most of your non-nudes in flickr are just as impressive as others if not more... normal everyday scenery are just so beautifully captured.. you've got the touch, no doubt about it!

here's to ya.. *raises glass* ;)

Ohh and don't ever think about retiring... or i'll organize the members of OCC to form a pussy, errr possy.. to hunt you down. :p

I tried to thank this Sal, but couldn't for some reason. Your words bring me great satisfaction :) I am quite normal really, except for the speech thing. I get up. I go to work. I take vacations. I go to movies (like "The Kings Speech", heh, heh which is sort of relevent to my life) and ballgames, etc etc..

And for the rest of you - story or no story - just check out the photostream! - there are lots of naked pics there that haven't been posted to OCC yet!! and BTW Sal, when I mentioned feeling a great connection with many of you here, your name was on the tip of my tongue. Its been a real pleasure and all the best to you...

KLondike

That's because we had disabled use of the "Thanks" button in the Site Feedback & Support forum.

Initially we thought it wasn't important here, but I'll enable it so everybody can use the "Thanks" button here as well.

I'll be the first to use it. ;)

Thanks,
Alex

Oh...funny I hadn't realized it couldn't be used! and i specifically was checking back looking for thanks that no one could give!

so.....um.....thanks for adding the thanks!

Klondike

Klondike: Focus on your dreams and go after them like there were no tomorrow. Now is the time. There is no turning back the hands of time. Just do it and don't be afraid to take risks or chances. Failure only makes success sweeter. It's far better to chase a dream now then to grown old later wishing you had.

I also find your avatar interesting. Any story behind it?

Thanks for all pictures you have posted, I have enjoyed them...

S&M

The avatar I think is a reference to my ancestry. Western pioneers of strict moral upbringing perhaps. Stoicism on the vast plains...

But i didn't give it a whole lot of thought. I really don't know where "klondike" came from, but once I had the name, i just needed to go find a suitable pic to go with it :)

Klondike

If you all don't mind, i would like to relate one more story for you to just give you an idea of what things can be like for me out in the world. Back in 2007, I suffered a severe health crisis which turns out was due to malnutrition. Thats malnutrition owing to obsessive traits linked to computer use vs shopping, eating right, etc. I am not stupid, just preoccupied. Anyway, i could barely brush my teeth, sit up in bed, or lift a pitcher of water for three weeks. I survived on tuna fish and rice, fetched during 10 minute dashes to the kitchen, while trying to figure out how to get admitted to the hospital. It wasn't easy. Twice i called 911 complaining of severe heart palpitations. They came and got me, did all the tests, and then discharged me while telling me to relax and reduce the stress in my life. The second discharge was humiliating. The nurse and doctor thought I was perhaps a homeless man. The doctor said to me "you can go home now.....uh......you DO have a home, don't you?" It was the most humiliating experience i have ever had. When the nurse told me I could get up and leave, I stammered that I didn't know if I had the strength to get a cab. She snickered and said "OF COURSE you can get a cab". They simply did not have a clue. At night for two weeks, the palpitations would come, and i would frequenty wake up brain dead. Literally - a very weird state of existence due presumably to oxygen starvation. The heart simply was not pumping blood. In three months, I was back at work, but it was six months before I could go full time. In 2008, this happened all over again. I have now got things under control, but for a while, it was pure hell. Anyway, a normal person would have had more social connections - friends, family, etc to help them get through this. But since i can hardly speak, it just makes matters far worse than they might have been otherwise. The worst thing was not being able to do anything physically, and not really knowing why, nor having any sense that things could ever improve. Do you call your boss and say "I'm really tired and so I won't be back to work for three months?" Just try it sometime. The moral here is don't ever think you can survive on 250 fast food meals a year for 25 years. You can do it until you hit 50 perhaps, but after that you better get your act together. My doctor told me he had suspected malnutrition during an exam back in 2006. It is hard to diagnose. But the irregular heart beat I've had now for four years is one clue. So, but not to drag this on too long, my time at OCC has come with some costs, but this was by far the biggest. They say boomers will not live as long as their parents due to computer use. Believe it! Last weekend, I actually went jogging. Jogging! I WILL be able to get out to beaches, events etc for some years to come now. At Fremont in 2008, I practically collapsed walking to Gaswork Park, and took a fraction of my usual pics because I had to spend all my time sitting down. Beside the fast food, it is everything they throw at you at the marts - the energy drinks, snacks and everything else. It is all pure garbage, and it angers me so much that milliionaires are made pedaling this "food". Enough, I guess for now. End of rant! but I will probably start carrying a card around with me now saying i am autistic (with a master's degree!), not homeless!!!!

Klondike

One thing that's always stood out to me in your photos is how close you can get to naked subjects without breaking their candor. Not something most people can pull off. That's a HUGE asset for taking this kind of picture. I'll keep an eye out for someone shooting nudes by GP, down by the water, next time I go into Bellingham!

Well done
 

I know you from OCC but I don't know and I was expecting to see a whole bunch of nudes and a few other pictures. Was I surprised. Your photos are very good and I was especially struck by the one of the cat on the sidewalk, looked like he/she had a sweater on and that he belonged there just as much as the people. I love cats, by the way. Do you do a lot of animal photos? I didn't have much time to go through your entire portfolio. You should be proud of what you have done. Thank you for being courageous enough to share your story with us....I would have never thought what you have told us.

Take care of yourself and be well.

Wow Klondike! I've been here for some years but only recently started seriously posting. I've made it a practice to check out every post you make, those with photos or not. Like the others, I never knew or ever would have suspected. That you refuse to succumb to the conditions is damn inspiring. Thank you for sharing. And your photos are truly works of art. So, now besides enjoying all your posts, there are these reasons that I'm so very happy to have "met" you here at OCC.

I've said it before and I'll say it again....Klondike, you are a without a doubt a connoisseur. I've said that about your public nudity photos and now I can say that about your non-nude photos.

I mean, what else can I say? You're one of the people that made OCC what it is today, filling the photo section with awesome originals and internet finds. Your photos have only gotten better and I'm always looking forward to seeing more.

Slick

Thanks everyone -

Here's a bargain for you: Join Flickr and then send me a Flickr mail saying you saw this thread and want to see my private pics. I will add you as friend even if you don't have any pics of your own uploaded. No questions asked. You will get to see over 100 other pics, some quite rare (Renn Fayre exclusives not posted anywhere).

cheers,

klondike

I was unaware that autism can arise in one's life and change how we behave well beyond childhood (where it is well documented), having a Master's degree is something that required attention to detail and more than a fair amount of social interaction. What little I know about the condition tells me that often sufferers are often super-talented in other areas, art or music being common.
Your case seems to be a great example of this. Although I started looking at your Flikr site to see the nudity, I soon became a fan of your landscapes too. I once vowed never to set foot in the USA, however your photos (and the liberal people) make me want to visit Portland and it's surrounding countryside. You really should get some employment from your local tourist board!

If anyone is interested, I could fill you in on why I spend most of my time at a PC too....when I am not ogling young nude ladies, that is:o

I don't know enough about nature vs. nurture to say you are a "born photographer" as opposed to a "made" one, Klondike, but make no mistake: you, sir, are a photographer, and a damn fine one at that! Okay, that's the easy part; as to the rest...Much like your more usual posts, there's a lot more to chew on than for just about anyone else's here. Just a few scattered responses for now: I'd rather have you step back a bit from 24/7 OCC temporarily if you need to, not just for selfish reasons (a Klondike better able in future, for a longer stretch of time, to get those wondrous shots I for one have enjoyed since I only knew you as Riverslug and had never heard of OCC, well, who wouldn't want that), but because you've earned it, you're worth it, and we're better off for it even if you never gave us another photo...as to jogging etc., excellent, but be careful about overdoing it; as to the larger picture, OCC is a fine place, and, though I apologize to everyone else out there for any presumption, perhaps supportive of "otherness" precisely because so many of us are "other" than social norms just by being here, but there's also another world out there. Remember Seattle U, where we didn't get any pictures from you, but you got a lot by being there and we did too, just from your reports...aim for Portland WNBR this year, riding and possibly even partying I mean, and maybe you'll get some of those hugs, I think you might remember the ones I mean...Anyway, overused as the phrase is, thanks for sharing, in all the ways you have...

Crispus and Pedro, my comrades in the exhibitionist forum - I am always there listening and eagerly awaiting your next contributions to OCC. You are very different, though. Pedro, the ex-aviater (?) and Crispus the intellectual. Pedro the swashbuckler, Crispus the gentle sage and seer of all things. I doubt Pedro has a handle bar mustache, but sometimes I picture him with one. Crispus on the other hand has a beard or is clean shaven, but no mustache by itself. Pedro wants to come to Portland. I have always dreamed of visiting London. He wants to get a taste for the northwest experience. I want to see if by experiencing the land from which comes the best popular music in the world, some of that creativity might rub off on me in my secret quest to be a composer. UK music and culture has always fascinated me (my record collection is proof of that!). And today when I go searching for new bands to listen to on the internet, I always click on the UK ones first. And Crispus - seems you are up in Seattle? Did you tell me that and if not, why do i think that other than the fact you always have all this inside info about Fremont, etc like you were born there or something? The obvious follow up question to you then Crispus would be this - how handy are YOU with a camera, heh, heh :)

Anyway, I am hoping to eventually post nudes and non-nudes in a ratio of about 50:50 over at Flickr. Success (and encouragement from both of you) with the non-nudes just energizes me to focus more on that. But yeah, i hope to be attending naked events too for some time to come. Flickr will continue to be my home for all of this, and I seem to be posting almost daily (new nudes too if you look closely). This is my habit this time of year - to keep sneaking in nudes as a way to attract more views. Its all very calculated :)

So I have my marching orders, I guess. Thanks so much for your continued support and for all the fun we've had in the exhibitionist forum over the past couple of years. I would sorely miss either of you if by chance you should pack it up and retire from OCC. Who would I have to compare thanks totals with, or share private pics and inside info with? :) Pedro, keep lugging that camera around the Spanish coast - you do it like no one else. And Crispus, the breadth of your sleuthing skills and knowledge is mind boggling...

cheers,

Klondike

You are correct my friend, I have no handle-bar mustache (US spelling!:eek:) and alas, my swash does not buckle any more (swash plate in my case.....I doubt if any other folk here would get that line:o, unless they too spent a while under a giant fan!) due to various medical problems:(.

However, these problems may mean I cannot afford the latest 'gismos' around, but I am wealthy in the area I now call home. At present, it is about 68F and sunny, the almond blossom is in full swing and the spring wild flowers are peeping above the soil. In about 6 weeks, the naked ladies will be putting their cute little bare butts toward the warm spring sunshine too.

Whatever the world or life throws at us, I hope we can all enjoy what we have.

Wow Klondyke, thanks so much for posting this and helping me to understand how autism affects you personnaly. I have a few friends/aquantancies who have autistic traits at various levels (it affects each individual differently depending on the severity) and while it has taken a long time to get anywhere near close (socially) to them, we are getting there.

Sometimes I have to just turn a blind eye to stuff they do or say, and sometimes I have to remind them not to stand so close or whatever - stuff they just don't realise is not as comfortable with other people as it is with them.

I myself have ADHD. I used to see it as a disability, but now I embrace the condition as it has definite advantages (artistic tallent, thinking outside the box etc).

Leather Master

You sound like someone that might perhaps fit in pretty well here in Portland :) They say that Portland is where young people go to retire (and discuss philosophy, etc). I don't know if that applies to you totally, but i can certainly relate, having been "retired", at least emotionally, since I was 21. My problem is that I never wanted to work, so that being around people in a work situation where others are really into work is very hard. Its just something I don't know how to talk about real well. Anyway, you are obviously intelligent, and probably are a bit on the autistic spectrum but maybe not too far along it. thanks for sharing!

cheers,

klondike

Health
 

As an engineer working with other engineers I know something about Aspergers Syndrome :)

Its always been easier for me to stay at home and watch TV (younger days)/play on the computer/surf the web rather then go out with friends, find a girlfriend, exercise etc.

Obsessive? you know I never thought to describe my activities that way and honestly this thread really has started me thinking, give me something to ponder

I think quite a bit about the time,loss of sleep, absence of normal care attributed to this hobby. I havent had serious health issues but I know my cardiovascular health isnt the best.

I have taken some steps recently to prod me into a little better lifestyle.

First a motto... Sleep tonight...live tomorrow

next I schedule a shutdown on my PC for a reasonable sleep time (Ican find the steps to do this if anyone is interested). This is a time where I have proven if I am in bed on average I can stay awake at work the next day. I feel a hell of a lot better.

Finally I try and track how much I missed the mark on the sleep thing (which inevitably happens) and try to make it up.

I havent gone to the timer on the electrical socket yet but that may be next!

Thanks for all your contributions. Good to have you around.

hi again guys - well, its official - I am retired from my job. Resigned actually as i had a mini stroke two weeks ago, persistant heart palpitations and general weakening. And I had basically used up all of my sick leave. So......its not the most terrible thing that could happen as I can manage financially. But that sort of means I no longer have social interaction at work and just about all of my friends are on line now. I hope to get my strength back and be out taking pics again shortly. The good news is that I now have lots of time to get back into OCC a bit and start posting again.
Maybe that will happen in the upcoming week or two. Stay tuned..

cheers,

Klondike

Jesus. :(

Sorry to hear about that, but glad you're recuperating.

Fango

Hang in there, Buddy. Maybe a bit of free time, travel, relax, come visit this site now and then, I think you have a lot of friends right here.
Good Luck, K and take care of your self.

hey klondike, i love your work. i have always been quite. and i have pretty much always looked up skirts and down blouses.(sorry my grahmer sucks) Anyways i am 20 and i think i have paranoid scitsophrinia. thats who iam.
but i live in portland too i have been meaning to say hello to you. i saw some one on another thread who said the girl in one of the pictures from the oregon country fairs name was grace his x fience. i know grace i just cant find him on here. any ways great work sir

Thank you for writing. IF there is anything I can say to you regarding your mental health self diagnosis and all - its this: First, get a proper diagnosis. Second, disabilities can be overcome with the right attitude. Develop skills doing what you enjoy and share them. My cousin had herself commited to a mental hospital 30 years ago with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. She is still there today when I think that she could have, with the right help, learned to live on her own. As for myself, I take photos and share them. It brings me a lot of joy. My guess is that you probably have some unique qualities that make you special, and that it would be our loss if you didn't pursue them. IT might not be grammar (:)), but you've got something in you. Creativity often abounds in those a little "on the edge".

anyway, feel free to pm me if you want to share more about yourself. I've got some experience dealing with the mental health professionals...

cheers,

KLondike

Been out of touch a long time here. Things are not going too well for me. I might be facing major heart surgery and am retired now but financially strapped - my retirement pension will not carry me past 2020. After that, and with the speech disability, I'll have to depend on any inheritance I get, Social security, and handouts....:( Surgery will also set me back financially. I am virtually unemployable.

About the best way for someone like me to make money is to try and set up a pay site. Or to hook up with someone like Fingers at Flash4us who is willing to pay for pics for his website. I don't know. But I am not really strong enough physically to cover major events anymore, at least not Fremont or OCF where a great deal of walking is required. So you will probably not be hearing a whole lot from me this year as i try to get a handle on my life with no job, and my life with heart disease. Keep me in your thoughts...

cheers,

Klodike

I will. Be well, my friend.

Fango

yes, and indeed you are and have always been a good friend, Fango. I miss the good 'ol days of trading pics and jibes with you :) And you are simply about the classiest, most original, most innovative poster OCC has ever seen. You go where no one has gone before, again and again, and open up new worlds for us. Your offerings are always rare treats, like that expensive desert you can only find at the finest restaurants. If OCC is a five star adult site, you are probably almost single handledly responsible for that fifth star. BEst wishes and good health to you too...

and BTW - if anyone wants to cheer me up, drop by my pbase gallery and if you like a pic, comment on it. No nudes.....

http://www.pbase.com/israoubst

Klondike,
I have only just seen this thread, and its hard to imagine what you go through. I geuss a lot of members have things going on in their private lives that not everyone knows about. These are the things can can affect how you react online. A very close friend of mine just recently lost his life. He was physically disabled but managed to build amazing websites with his feet. He died 2 weeks ago in his sleep after catching pneumonia.
I myself have had heartache, as i lost my 7 year old son in a road accident in 1999. This changed my outlook on life in a huge way, but i kept myself together as i also had 2 other sons to bring up and keep them on the straight and narrow. My eldest son is now 23 years old and has a family of his own, but he is also a motorcycle stunt rider, so you can imagine how i feel each time he is out.
Anyway Klondike, i am not trying to take things away from your thread, i'm just trying to get across to all members, that if you ever see a change in anyones postings, you should always think about why they have changed, as you never know about their private lives.
Keep your chin up Klondike, you are a truly valued member on here and everyone has a lot of respect for you.

reagrds
celeb_peeper.

.

thank you c_p - it is interesting to learn about the private lives of other members and I only wish we could do more exchanging of that type of info.

As for my use of the word "jibe" in my previous post, i realized i don't have a clue as to what that means :) I must have been combining "jive" with "jab" or something, but neither are appropriate really. No need for Fango to take offense - we just traded pics and conversation...

KLondike

K, i'm terribly sorry to hear that.. Yeah obviously, if you do need surgery, don't hesitate about it!.. worry about money later, health first.!! one step at a time...

Anyways, your are in my thoughts and in most members here as well for certain

We may not be family here, but we're the next closest thing!!! So keep us informed mate.

Me too, I have been 'through the mill' in the past year and the future is not great, but at least I have my good health. Please keep posting, if only stuff you have found, this place would not be the same without you. ;)

I hope things will eventually work out, without bringing politics into this post:rolleyes:, we in Europe are appalled at the resistance within the US to basic free healthcare for all, for a country that 'claims' to be the most Christian soceity in the world, it seems terrible to ignore those in need of help! Shame on them, I would imagine their founder (of the religion) would be very upset:mad::mad:

thanks Pedro and Sal - as we get older, I think we all share this increased sense of vulnerability and insecurity even when we feel pretty healthy. I feel pretty good right now, but because of some of the things I went through in 2011, I am definitely not the same person I was in 2010. You learn to take things day by day..

As for pics, if I do any surfing and posting now more than likely I'm going to be going "has this been posted yet" all the time because I'm not too up on things anymore.

Mainly though - even if I'm not poking around here everyday, OCC has been too big a part of my life not to be thinking about it and you all. So I am always "here" :)

Klondike

I'm sorry to read of your troubles, Klondike. You have always introduced a sense of high quality amateur style and class to your posts, that have spilled over into the atmosphere of the forum. I wish I had your talents and eye for beauty. I have enjoyed the photos that you post here, as well as your photos of other subjects on flickr and pbase. I appreciate and admire your work. I thank you for all of your contributions here.

I hope your luck turns and something positive comes down the pike for you.

Dognheat