Yesterday I wanted to take some pictures, so I reached under my desk to pull out my camera bag (that is where I always keep it) and discovered that it wasn’t there. I stared at the empty space for a few seconds as my brain tried to make sense of the scenario and then I said to the most amazing man in the world “
my camera is gone”
“
What do you mean gone?”
“
Gone” I said. “
I left my camera bag somewhere and everything in it is now gone. Everything.”
I told him this calmly. But it was an eerily type of calm. You know what I mean. The type where your voice sounds haunted. The type that is accompanied by a cold sweat. The type where you realize suddenly that something has gone terribly wrong.
So, here’s the story.
On the weekend we stopped in at a coffee shop. I had my computer bag with me, which isn’t unusual; after all, photography is a favourite pastime. Except instead of placing it on the floor between my feet like I always do so that I can constantly be aware of its presence, for the first time ever, I placed it on the windowsill. And then forgot it there when we left. And everything in it. A DSRL camera, an 18 – 270 lens, a macro lens (the love of my photography life), a flash, filters, extra batteries, a remote release and a whole bunch of other handy items. All gone.
Just.
Like.
That.
My initial reaction was denial, which was followed by disbelief, which was quickly replaced by shock. And as I paced all over the house with panic and grief and a whole bunch of tears and probably a whole lot of wailing threatening to kick in, the most amazing man in the world calmly dialed up the two coffee shops we go to regularly (we had visited both on the weekend and couldn’t be sure at which one this happened). I heard him say “
no, eh?” to the first one. They had not found a camera bag. Then he telephoned the second place, the last hope, and he explained his reason for calling. A few seconds of silence as he listened.
Inhale. Hold breath. Heart pounding.
Then “
Oh, you do! That’s great!”
Exhale. A little hyperventilating. Relief. Tears of joy.
The most amazing man in the world drove me to the coffee shop and waited in the car as I went in to retrieve my bag. I asked for the manager and when she came out with my most beloved possession, I wanted to hug her and sob like a baby and tell her that I love her and ask to be her best friend. I didn’t. Instead, I thanked her profusely. She said “
You are so lucky! There are shady characters and this equipment could have disappeared.”
There are good days and there are great days. Yesterday was one of the great ones. And one of the luckier, too.
I should play the lottery...
Have you ever lost something really special to you?
