Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Christopher “Click” Thompson of Weatherford, Texas

Christopher “Click” Thompson shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Good morning Christopher “Click”, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
Everyday I start by opening the blinds in the front of my place. There’s something about that moment each day that I tell myself that I’m ready for the day. I would relate it to flipping the sign to open at the store. Next, I’ll brush my teeth and freshen up and then take a quick pause and “gather my chickens” for the day. I may read the Bible, listen to some music, check some emails and then I’ll pick out some clothes to go for my morning walk.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Christopher Thompson, more commonly known as Click Thompson. I’m a World Champion Rodeo Photographer based in Weatherford, Texas. This is my 17th year as a professional photographer and my 14th full year as a photographer in the western space. My main genre or subject is rodeo. I travel the majority of the year all over the country capturing the action in and out of the arena as a member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Some of the most notiable events I have covered include Cheyenne Frontier Days, The Cody Stampede, The Pendleton Roundup, The American Rodeo, Rodeo Houston, and the Professional Bull Riders World Finals. For the last three years I’ve had the distinct honor of being selected to photograph the National Finals Rodeo and voted by the members of the PRCA as the Photographer of the Year.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
Wow! Great question. I think the answer is easy. My parents knew who I was before anyone else did, even myself. I often say that my parents are the extremes of me, so anything I do isn’t too far off the mark of something one of them has done or was going ot do. That makes it easy when you’re learning to express yourself and find your way. When I decided to leave my job in Virginia and move to Texas to be a full-time rodeo photographer, they were the two people who never questioned it. My mom, as moms do, just wanted to make sure that I was going to be safe and that I had good people around me, and my Dad just wanted to see me go for it. No matter what that was. He knew I was pursuing something that I was passionate about, and that’s all that matters.

What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
A defining wound in my life is when a friendship goes sour. Though something rare for me, I’ve found that these moments can be defining and serve as stark turning points in my life. These moments are also unique because not only is there a discovery about the person who was formerly your friend, but there is a discovery about yourself. You’re able to go back to the moments in your memory that, at the time, weren’t concerning, but you ignored your intuition because the situation involved your friend. There is also the pain of losing a friend. Often, this is a person you trust and share ideas, hopes, and dreams with, so that moment of separation helps. Healing can be a difficult task. Generally, the longer the friendship was, the longer it takes to move on and heal, but I’ve always remembered in these moments that some people are only in your life for a season, so you have to be ready when that season ends. It’s all for your benefit and there is always something to take away from these kind of wounds.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
I love this question. I pride myself on being as authentic as possible. I do have what I call a “Batman/Bruce Wayne” thing as a part of my personality, but through all of that, I’ve always made sure that what people see is the real version of me. I do have layers to my personality, and I do feel that certain things that should be kept private but I’m thankful that I’ve never had to be anybody but who I am!

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
When I’m gone, I hope people share their favorite moments that they had with me. I hope they smile when they hear my name, and it reminds them that I was a good man. A man of Faith. A generous man with my time and with my knowledge, and that I always pushed to get the best out of not only myself but the best out of those that I came in contact with.

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