Triggered: Akil Grubb
© Akil Grubb
Image and text by Akil Grubb
A few days before Christmas 2019, I met up with one of my closest friends, Asoh Black, to go gift shopping. After we finished shopping, Asoh asked, "yo, do you just wanna go to a bar or something?" I told him, "yeah I haven't gone out in a minute." We decided to the Lower East Side area of Manhattan. After a few hours of drinking and dancing, we left the bar and hopped on the J train back home.
I typically carry my camera with me everywhere I go to make photographs at my whim. However, I realized I didn't take any photos that day. I couldn't let the moment slip by without immortalizing it. As I've aged into adulthood, I've found that moments, with close friends, don't occur as often as they once did in high school, when we spent much more time together. Once I had that realization, I told Asoh, "yo, I have to finish this roll of film before I get home", then we had an impromptu subway photoshoot on the way home.
Looking at this image teleports me to our youth, reminding me of the perspective with which I saw Asoh 10 years ago. The image represents the times I spent taking the train to and from school with one of my best friends. It represents the 23+ year journey each of us has been on, to end up where we are today. As a person, I want to be more aware and appreciative of precious moments in my life. At that instance, I was inspired to snapshot the 3AM journey home because the moment encapsulated our brotherly bond, personal journeys, and growth.
