“Supergirl” and “Superdad”
posted Thursday July 8th, 2010
Remember that great irrigation picture from a week or so ago? Look what landed in my in box yesterday — titled “Supergirl.”
This photo was taken three-quarters of the way up “A” Mountain in Tempe. Maybe Ray should quit his day job…. Oh wait, now that reporters are required to take their own photos and video, this is his day job. In any case, this makes me want to invest in a good camera, but of course this photo is about more than that.
You can’t take a photo like this one without a connection to your subject.
The other day, Ray was jousting with the girls in the pool as I watched from the steps, wincing not only because I don’t like getting splashed in the face but because, of course, every small action — in my paranoid, terrified mind — leads to injury and tragedy.
It occurred to me, not for the first time, that in 20 minutes that afternoon, Ray had played longer and harder with the girls than my father ever played with my sister and me, over the course of our entire childhoods. My dad doesn’t read this blog, so I’m comfortable saying that here, although I will still add that he’s a great dad in many ways I didn’t realize when I was almost 9, or even when I was almost 39.
I’m not a big jouster, either, I get that from my dad, although I wouldn’t say our parenting styles bear any sort of resemblance beyond a tendency to fall asleep on the couch too early in the evening.
I’ve also never known my father to take a photograph.
Wow – ditto, ditto, ditto