Birth Of A Photographer

I-Needa took this picture of her Christmas Cactus a couple of years ago. It is one of my favorite pictures. I think nature is stunning, and this exquisite flower on a cactus catches my eye.

I’ve never been a photographer. It’s a wonder that I have pictures of the kids growing up. Thankfully, others around me were more blessed with a burning desire to capture ‘Kodak’ moments.

I’m not saying that I never took pictures, but getting the film developed seemed to be a challenge I couldn’t master. Follow through became an issue and rolls were left to ruin. Occasionally I felt something stir in me that wanted to take pictures, but the stirrings were brief and quickly dissipated.

When digital cameras first came to the market, my interest was stirred again. I knew I wanted one, but I didn’t make a quick commitment that would drive me to the store to actually purchase one. I seemed to linger in limbo, awaiting some event that would drive me to make a decision.

The event came in the form of a post retirement trip. (Oh joy!! Retirement!) Spending years in the field of education, my schedule was always firmly fixed by the Board of Education. I repeatedly said that, when I retired, I wanted to take a fall trip to New England. I wanted to be a Leaf Peeper. I wanted to see the glorious colors of New England and revel in that fact that I was there and not confined to the classroom.

It happened just like that. I didn’t even seek it out. I just happened to find out about a group of people, all from my small town, who were headed out in October for a tour of the New England States. 'Oh, glory! I’m going', I said.... and I did.

What sane person would head out on that wonderful trip without a camera? Not me! I headed to the computer for research. After about a week with my body firmly glued to my computer chair, I made a decision. I went to Nearby City and made the big purchase, the one I’d waited to make for many years. I held in my hand a key to future fun and preservation of memories. I bought a digital camera.

The trip was wonderful. I took hundreds of pictures and made a Creative Memories album as soon as I got home. I can take my book and relive that wonderful experience over and over again.

I-Needa received a camera the next Christmas. She was thrilled. We’ve been exchanging wonderful ‘Canon’ moments via e-mail. There are pictures of family gatherings, all tucked away in Creative Memories albums. Capturing moments to savor over and over again has become a passion. The beautiful flower on the Christmas Cactus is gone, but I can still look at it and remember how excited I-Needa was when she first saw it. She grabbed her camera, took a few pictures, and e-mailed it to me to share. Lovely, really.