The one that didn't get away

Two images haunt me. They are images that I wished I had taken photos of when I was standing there thinking to myself, "I really should take a picture of this." But, for various reasons, I didn't. What's ironic is that in both situations, I had my camera with me, and yet I still didn't take the shot. And now those images haunt me.

The first one occurred a few months ago. I was driving in my neighborhood, and I drove past a bench on the corner of Main Street, with a woman was sitting in it. She looked tired. Haggard, really. She was wearing dark pants and a black jacket with one bright orange stripe across her shoulders. What stood out to me was the vivid orange color contrasted against her dark clothes and the taupe-colored building behind her. I was also drawn to the weariness in her face and body language. I couldn't help but wonder a little bit about what her life was like.

I was sitting at a stop light, a few yards away from her when I saw her, and I vividly remember arguing with myself about whether or not to pick up my camera and shoot. My compassion for her weariness won out (as well as my pride in not looking like a wierd-o), knowing that me and my camera taking her photo without permission would probably be unwelcome, at best. I didn't shoot.

The second image I wish I had recorded was one I saw last week. I drove by a church with signs for a fall festival taking place that day. People were beginning to file in for the festivities. As I drove past the church, I noticed the prayer garden which is a year-round ministry of the church. It centers around a life-size stone replica of  Jesus' empty tomb, the door rolled back to celebrate His resurrection. Benches have been placed nearby for people who wish to sit, pray, and reflect on Jesus life and death.

On this particular day, as I drove past, I saw in the field behind the tranquil, reverent prayer garden....(said in a big, male announcer voice)...TWO GIANT MONSTER TRUCKS, crashing down on a row of beat-up cars--the main event of the festival.

Yes, that's right. Christ's tomb in front of a monster truck rally. I still kick myself for not turning my car around to photograph that one.

So, with these missed opportunities fresh in my mind, I was driving Karis to trick or treat at her Great-Grandmother's house a couple of days ago. I turned down her street, and noticed, just before her apartment complex, a large field with overgrown weeds. It was five o'clock, and the magic hour of golden sun was beating down on the tops of the weeds, making the area look like Sting's "fields of gold"...or Bates' "amber waves of grain". Upon seeing it, my brain immediately began lighting up with great photo ops of Karis in her costume, the gorgeous back light, and fun, overgrown background.

So I did what any sensible parent on the road would do. I looked in my rear-view mirror, braked (safely), did a U-turn, parked in the grass, and prevented myself from regretting another missed photography moment.