The photos we did not take

I didn't photograph the lightning we had several days ago. I have never photographed a storm because I am scared of them.

I did not photograph the woman holding the sign that read: "A smile, a wink, a hug, a penny; anything helps." She's Asian, elderly, cute as a button, and if I had my camera, I would have given her ten dollars for her photo.

I didn't photograph the thousands of flags on the lawn of this mansion by the sea in my neighborhood for 9/11 and when I went back today with a camera, only one flag was left, and I was sad.

I didn't take a photo of the little boy dressed up as a knight and his little female friend dressed up as a pink princess running freely down 3rd and Pike. I didn't because they were four years old, and their mother was glowering, but I wish I had.

I didn't take a picture of the woman who sat on the park bench on campus only to jump up, shrieking, because the sprinklers had come on and completely soaked her. She shrieked, and all of us on the upper balcony turned around to see, and she blushed, and we smiled, even though we were far enough way she probably couldn't see our smile, and I truly felt it would have been a hilarious photo if done right.

It was July rain and the tree down the street from my college campus had dozens of leaves in a row, thousands of droplets on each leaf, hanging down--I did not take a photo because my camera was four miles away, home and under my bed.

I didn't photograph the smile I had on my face that one day that one time that one year.

I did not take a picture of the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen.

I didn't take a picture of anything today because it was overcast and we all know overcast makes for washed out pictures and I am, quite frankly, getting tired of Seattle.

Today I did not photograph a black man wearing bright yellow sunglasses that made his entire face an eerie yellow and eyes look extremely powerful and haunting. This is the best portrait I never took.

Once again, I did not take a photograph of the chipped peeling wall in the tunnel going from I-5 to 520. It seems that every time traffic is slow enough that I'd have time to get a good shot, I don't have my camera with me...and every time I bring my camera, traffic flows like water.

Great idea for a group, btw.

Out of fear, I did not photograph:

a) The dog that ran away from me when I got close
b) The little boy whose dad yelled at me
c) The three high school seniors in white tuxes walking down Queen Anne, carrying bouquets of red and pink roses

On Sunday I forgot my camera and so I did not take a photograph of the neighborhood park's sprinklers going off, the two young kids running through them, the old man getting soaked while reading his Sunday New York Times, the withered and dying azalea bush in the background with light purple blossoms who bloomed only to seemingly be shed into a pile under the plant like purple blood.

A woman in the local Kroger wearing a oversized royal blue pea coat with stark white hair styled with uncanny likeness to Cruella de Vil except instead of black highlights, there were off-color gray streaks, whose shopping cart contained three gallons of whole milk and a cucumber with large light green speckles all over.