Chugchilán, Ecuador/Bellingham, Washington

My son Owen and I were hiking in the remote hills near Chugchilán, Ecuador in 2002. He was about 18. We came upon three kids and I took Owen’s picture with them. As I viewed the four of them through the lens I had a sudden flash of what Owen’s life would have been had he been born in Chugchilán instead of Bellingham, Washington. At that moment I clearly understood the randomness of our existence, and how 95% of who we are is pure, dumb luck.