A Study In Frustration.

For three years our youngest, tailEnd, has played in his middle school band. We have watched him go from the Trumpet, to the Baritone, and finally to the Tuba. We have enjoyed watching him learn to play each instrument and to excel on them all. Through all of these changes we have managed to be to everyone of his band concerts. And have been so proud to call tailEnd our son.

Now you may be asking yourself, "What is so frustrating about that?". Well let me explain. Throughout the last three years we have never managed to take a camera with us. Either we had no camera, we just forgot the camera, or we figured out that our camera needed a lot of help, as in lets just bury it. We always thought, "Oh well, next time." After all this time I finally talked midMan into buying a new camera in January, a Nikon D60. I am still learning how to use it but I love that we have a great camera with so much potential. Now if only I would reach the same potential.

Now the really frustrating part. About two months ago we went to tailEnds last band concert. I forgot that I had a camera and left it at home. We were so sad at the thought that we would not get any pictures and didn't have enough time to run home and get the camera. You see, tailEnd has decided not to continue his career in band and wants to learn to play the guitar, and this, we thought, would be our last chance for pictures.

Then God smiled down on us and the band had one last concert a week before school let out. I was so excited. I was going to get some pictures of tailEnd playing the Tuba. And he has always been placed in the best position. As we would sit and face the band he has always been on our right side, on the last row, at the very end. Perfect picture position! Yeah!!!

Frustration has arisen. For this last concert the leaders decided to change things up and put the JV band on our right side and the Varsity band, which he is in, on our left. This placed tailEnd in the very back. As far from the camera as you could get. I wanted to scream. The one and only time I have a camera and they put him in the back. AAAHHHHHHH!!!

And then to top it all off, every time I would get him in my sights one of the kids in front of him would move in front of him, as you can see from the great blur in the middle of the picture above. I finally just had to give up. I think I ended up taking about thirty pictures and the ones your see are the best I could come up with.

Good thing he had that big curly head so that I could at least find him in the bunch.

Love Always,

midRae

Things To Remember.......................You all may not know this but back in my youth, 7th grade, I was given the opportunity to learn an instrument. I choose the flute and have loved the sound ever since. It's music just speaks to me and I love to sit and listen and to pick out the sound of the flute. It's music can be so sweet and sorrowful at the same time. It can make you see and feel joy and happiness and then just as easily make you see and feel the haunting sound of loneliness and sorrow. I was unable to continue playing the flute but I am so thankful that I did get the opportunity. I don't think I would have appreciated it's sound if I had never gotten the chance.