Say Cheese

I don't own a camera.

Okay, I do. In fact, I own tw..thre..four of them. None of them work, which will surprise no one that knows me well, or who has read this journal for any amount of time. I tend to kill anything that has a battery or is digital or that has beyond your basic wind up innards. I like to consider it a gift. I know I receive thank you cards from a number of company's that I personally keep in business. Currently, Apple is rubbing it's hands in glee with me as a customer.

My friends and family politely keep me away from all of their electrical gizmo's. The Weather Guy wouldn't even let me carry his newly purchased iPod out of the C word when he purchased it in January.

I mean, really.

Looking back on it, smart move.

My last camera was your basic PhD camera... Push Here Dummy. I managed to kill it fairly quickly.... however, it wasn't ME per se, it was when I poured a bottle of water by accident when I was carrying it in my purse that caused it's death. Therefore, you really can't blame me... I mean, you can...but, you can't.

I digress.

I've realised, however, with all the cameras I've owned, I never took photos... I'm not sure I have more than 47 photos of HRH, and she's 20.

I ride the Ferry or walk the city or look over London... I scan faces, landscapes, sunsets, cathedrals, see the juxtaposition of various objects that catches my eye... a million things zip past me... I know I don't have the eye of an artist to capture this thing...

It's why there are people like Miss S, who is a master with a camera.

This is why postcards were invented, for people like me. I go on holidays, and buy them, and pretend I took that perfect picture of the changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace (that I've only driven past) or of the London Eye (that I've still never been on, thanks to a hangover after a looooooong gin game) or gone to the top of the Empire State Building. I take lots of photos of people I don't know, posed against the backdrop of the city or the Statue of Liberty (please, can someone take a brush and clean it?) for the tourists who strain to hold their arm out to get all of them in the picture. People and places I know? Not so much.

In the end, I know this--I'd rather live the event, they lose it while focusing a camera.

That's my line, and I'm not going to move away from it...




Our Neville Fact:


Tomorrow, Neville's life while Margaret was away on Her Adventure.