Mark Lemmon
· by Roy Edlund
I've started and restarted this post several times already and hope this is the last iteration and can finally tell this story.
Yesterday I found out that a friend succumbed to his battle with cancer that I only recently learned he was battling with.
When I first moved here, I didn't know anybody and made friends slowly. I didn't have a plan and wasn't sure I could make a go of it here.
I wasn't a photographer, and I refrained from referring to myself as one for many years. I was just an old man taking lots of photos with a cheap camera with even cheaper lenses.
Let's just say, at first, I wasn't embraced by the locals, in fact, I was ignored for the most part. I began to lose hope that I would ever fit in here.
I had so many photos on my hard drive that I started this page, posting photos for my handful of followers. Something less than 50.
That's how I met Mark Lemmon. A kindred spirit that found me here on Facebook. He liked my photos and encouraged me to post some on his NC Locals Artist page (I forget the name but it was something like that).
I resisted posting because I didn't want be seen as posting to build my own audience.
He made it clear that he didn't care and wanted to help my photos find more followers. It struck me last night that I probably wouldn't have stayed if not for Mark.
My page soon had over 500 followers and I could feel the tide had turned.
It's interesting how the smallest changes and moves in your life and you find yourself on a completely new trajectory.
I loved Mark, he was as genuine as you could want in a friend. Always there for you if you needed him. I never became a PBR fan, but would never refuse one from him.
He moved to Florida around covid time to be with his mom and we, or I, didn't keep in touch.
Such a sad day. Brought a flood of memories and feelings to the surface.
I am heartbroken and regret losing touch and not reaching out.
He is the reason there is an OBX Beach Bum.
Love from here. ❤️