Wednesday, November 11, 2009

A Remembrance Day to Forget


I went out deliberately without my camera this afternoon, thinking I'd just enjoy a stroll.   But  when I passed the colourful display of poppied crosses, put up by the village in tribute to the fallen soldiers, I was moved to rush back home to fetch my camera to record the image and post my own little memorial here.



In taking this picture from what I considered to be an interesting angle, I somehow dropped my camera onto the hard cement monument base and broke it.  No, not the monument, my camera.  Yes, broke it, as in fini, finito, kaputski, game over.

What sort of moral might I draw from this sad occurence?  That I should have listened to my first instinct, which was to just enjoy the walk for itself?  To stop obsessing about recording every little breath I take to share with invisible friends in a virtual realm?  That there is a deeply ingrained saboteur hiding within the depths of my psyche?  That crappy things happen for no apparent reason?  That in comparison to losing or giving one's life, breaking one's camera is not such a big deal?  That I must get on with other aspects of self-expression that do not involve a camera?  What sort of activity, for heaven's sake, might that be?  Even when I make art I still need to document it.  I dunno.

Operators are standing by to take your pledges of sympathy and monetary assistance. 
Thank you.

*****
 Update Two Hours Later:  We interrupt this maudlin post to broadcast the wonderfully good news that Pierre has performed a miracle and fixed my camera!  Please, however, don't let this news interfere with your monetary pledges.

15 comments:

  1. Oh bugger, a broken camera...seriously that would really get to me. You're right, crappy things do happen for no apparent reason however the memorial wasn't one of those instances was it, I mean someone made the decision to put fire in the hole!

    I have a spare camera you can borrow but you will have to come and claim it, please provide proof of identification in triplicate with the usual bribe.

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  2. Thanks, Saj. I'll be right over with a bottle each of red and white vermouths for the usual bribe, and a bottle of champers thrown in for good measure--but it won't be to bribe you, it will be to CELEBRATE the fixing of my camera by my man-about-the-house, Pierre (now known as "my hero")!

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  3. I'm glad that your camera is fixed, but I appreciate the questions you asked yourself in the meantime...Sometimes it's good to be stopped in our tracks, and to question what we've gotten into the habit of doing, what we think is important, and WHY...And after whatever realizations strike us, it's good when the camera (or whatever) starts in working again! - there are enough hassles in life!

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  4. Hi Lynne! I guessed the happy outcome because voila--the photos made it to the computer! Thank God! No, thank the-man-around-the-house! Where would we be without one? no watch, no speakers, a few recessed light bulbs out, not enough air in one of the tires... The poppy crosses are the perfect tribute. We used to have veterans at intersections seling mini ones for the visor, but with fewer and fewer WWII veterans around to do it, the poppies don't seem to be around anymore.
    And Lynne, you are not invisible to me. I don't have to see you to know your warmth, humor, energy, kindness, and caring. I would miss what you had wanted to share but couldn't. xxox

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  5. Hi Jill,
    Nice to see you here. And that there still is a here! I really appreciate you reinforcing the importance of those questions I asked myself after the "loss" of my camera. As you say, those little life lessons come along and smack us up the side of the head to make us pay attention to what's really going on. It feels like such a blessing when a little healing kiss from the universe follows shortly after.

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  6. Hoorah for Pierre, bring him with you!!

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  7. Hi Margaret,
    I got those photos put up before my camera was fixed! Just had to pop out the memory card et voilà.

    You are so right about having a man-about-the-house! If I didn't have one, I guess I'd have to hire one. The old batting the eyelashes routine doesn't work so well anymore!

    Thank you for your kind words. I guess blogging is all about reaching out and sharing. I tend to be flippant and try to not reveal too much about myself personally, but I guess one's real self seeps through in the choices one makes. (See that--I slipped from speaking personally to speaking in the general. Guess I'm just shy at heart.) xo

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  8. OK, Saj! But if Pierre's coming along I'll have to double the bottles I'm bringing.

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  9. Even though born 1974, but of German origin, I feel as if I owe an apology, still.

    Glad that most of the things in my life could be fixed, glad also about reading your camera. Glad to have this peaceful freedom, which did cost so many so much.
    A wonderful Thursday for you.

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  10. ANYBODY ELSE NEEDS ANY REMEMBERANCE DAY FIXIN OUT THERE? I ALSO DO THANKSGIVING & CHRISTMAS FIXINS!

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  11. Hero, I could use a fix about now...

    Dear Lynne, (or should we start calling you "Maude", as in Maude-Lynne ?) :-)

    I'm so very happy your camera could be salvaged, so that you can continue to obsess about photographing everything you see in order to put it on the blog...

    Funny how the simple fact of running and maintaining a blog does sort of insinuate itself into one's life, until one may wonder, "am I running the blog, or is the blog running me ?" No wonder some bloggers just pack up and go cold turkey, cutting it off... errr, that doesn't sound right, I mean, you know, just stopping. Anyway, time for a "red-eye?" No ? Champers then ? And thank goodness for heroes around the house...

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  12. Robert, I wonder if the sins of our forefathers must rest upon our shoulders? There is a still a lot of resentment between the French and English in pockets of this country, even close to home. I do understand what you mean and it does sadden me. It saddens me that I understand what you mean, as well as that you feel this way.

    But it gladdens me that most is fixable in our lives, and that we do, indeed, breathe quite freely.

    Peace to you, in heart and mind.

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  13. Hero: Do the Christmas fixin's include stuffing? I don't want a repeat of the Thanksgiving fiasco!

    But seriously, my blog thanks you from the bottom of its bloggy little heart! Bring on the football game at the Big O!

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  14. Owen,
    I can't help but wonder just what sort of "fix" you might be referring to.

    I'm beginning to wonder if I might be doing things in order to have something to blog about. No. Not that far gone as yet. I can blog about absolutely nothing right along with the best and worst of them! But I admit that I do need my daily fix of reading and/or posting blogs!

    BTW--the Hero also does fixin's to go with that cold turkey you mentioned. It's kind of a hero sandwich.

    Too bad you have to work--Pierre and I are heading over to the Sagittarian's tonight with some vermouth and champagne to celebrate the Big Fix. Do stop by on your way home!

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  15. Never "stop obsessing about recording every little breath" - where would that leave me? ;-)

    I am so glad your camera has been resuscitated!
    I have lost my first little Sony digital camera that way, hard falls are not taken kindly, I learned. And from that moment on, I never ever took my camera out without the wristband attached to my wrist. I watched people in Venice holding their camera over the water, oh boy, I started sweating each time! ;-)

    The poppy wreath evoke the Poppy Fields of Flanders beautifully, really touching. I am glad you risked your life, er, camera to capture them for us!

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