The impulse purchase

Let’s see. I’ve got less than a week before my 40th college reunion. And I still want to get some great photos – both at the reunion and afterwards. So I took my Nikon F2S camera (“Nikon Athena”) and attached my newly-acquired Helios 44-2 Russian lens with the Petzval modification to it. In goes a fresh pack of Kodak Portra 400 35mm film. Figured I’d burn off a few shots to start the roll, and see where things go from there.

I walked around the neighborhood, took a few photos of some flowers, stopped at the Little League park and got a quick meal (cheeseburger + diet cola + Fritos = $5). I kept Athena holstered while I was at the park, as I did not want anyone accusing me of taking photos of their kid and wondering WHY I was taking photos of their kid, and assuming I was taking photos of their kid for nefarious purposes.

A walk back home, a few more photos along the way … and as I turned the corner for home, I saw what appeared to be two neighborhood kids sitting at a card table. “Want to buy a wrist band?” one of the kids asked me.

I looked at the wrist bands. I mean, it’s the kind of thing some kids would wear at school or in the neighborhood or the like. But they’re not for me.

And then I thought for a moment.

And then for another moment.

I picked a red wrist band off the table. “How much?” I asked.

“One dollar,” one of the kids beamed.

I resisted the urge to ask if this little corner shop operation takes Venmo or CashApp. Instead, I pulled a dollar out of my wallet. “Here you go,” I said. The kids smiled, and one of the little business mavens took the dollar and put it a little plastic Fisher-Price toy cash register.

I walked the rest of the way home with a smile in my heart. Because, let’s face it. I’m not one who needs a red toy wristband …

But I know of a camera lens – an item that needs tight focus precision – who might. 😀