Old Mill Detour

I took a short detour on the way to the super market tonight. The trip brings me into Middletown. My lack of culinary savvy makes the supermarket trip daunting. Once I get beyond the short list of milk, eggs and butter, I’ve got nothing. I wander the aisles wracked with guilt as I remind myself that the Poptarts and Oreos are evil. To avoid the inevitable internal dialog, I pulled into the old mill area.  Looking for solace as the sun set lower, I couldn’t help but think of the lack of photographic nutrition I have been experiencing. I feel desperate for some good material, but even today I was coming up empty handed.  I looked at the old mill. The sun gave it a nice late afternoon glow, but it was missing the enticements that warmer weather brings. I clicked on the close-up lens and crouched over hoping to find something interesting. A homeless man who eyed me suspiciously startled me. I was in his territory. I wanted to photograph him as he looked for 5-cent cans strewn about but I felt silly snapping pictures as he was trying to survive. Trying to be respectful of his privacy, I turned from him only to come face to face with a decaying skull of some creature. Jumping up, I got caught in prickers. Cursing under my breath, I knew it was time to go. My supermarket trip was calling, like it or not. I wandered through the cavernous building getting the obligatory task completed as I wondering how Rachel Ray and Martha Stewart make it look so easy. As I wheeled the squeaky cart out the door, I came face to face once again with the homeless man. He smiled a toothless smile and asked me if I had gotten any good photos. Startled again, I gave him a smile and told him that just being out there makes me feel good. I wish I had thought quickly enough to share some of my food with him, but he was already gone. I left feeling connected. While I have some lack luster photos to show for the outing, my mind can only picture this man that brought the early evening into focus. In the end, I realized that today’s ordinary miracle was for my eyes only.