Thursday, November 29, 2018

Flat Stanley got smoked

Not healthy. Don't care.
St. Laurent, QC
November 2018
This photo originally shared on Instagram
Often when I'm stressed, I try to take the weirdest photos possible to a) occupy/calm my mind, and b) create a memory of that particular space and time. Flipping through the results later on evokes a feeling I can't quite describe, but if you've ever cherished a large mug of hot chocolate in a cozy kitchen as a snowstorm rages outside, that's the kind of vibe I get. Refuge. Warmth. Home.

I'm odd like that - and in so many other ways - but over the years I've found a little photographic therapy can go a long way.

This particular photo was borne out of a curious mixture of impatience and politeness. Impatience because we had literally just sat down in the restaurant booth and were waiting for the server to return so we could place our order. We weren't there to linger: After days on end in a mirth-filled hospital, we just wanted to eat and be done for the day. So rather than wait for the actual meal to be ordered and delivered, I thought I'd play with the menu instead. A picture of a picture? Sure, why not?

Oh, and the politeness thing? That's tougher to explain. It's incredibly rude to spend an entire meal Instagramming the hell out of your dish as you ignore your meal-mate. Sorry, I can't handle being "that" guy. But I still wanted the picture. Or any picture. Just because. And since I didn't have the time to wait for a real smoked meat sandwich to appear, the menu would have to do.

Photography. Life. It's all the same. The universe doesn't always line up the way we want. The timing may be off. Or we're in the wrong place. So we improvise. We make do. We figure it out, imperfect as it may be.

Maybe this overly flat photo-of-a-photo is less imperfect than I thought. Maybe I'm not talking about photos at all.

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1 comment:

Shammickite said...

I hope your real smoked meat sandwich was as good as the photo looks! I had a sandwich like that when I was in Montreal many years ago.... Shopsys I think, can't remember now, but it was HUGE and juicy and mustardy and very very good.