July 12th, 2019

I cannot believe it.  I finally managed to get a photo of a dragonfly!  Wow!

I've been trying (and failing) for the longest time.  But finally I did it!  I honestly thought it would never happen.  It's not like it is an important goal in the grander scheme of things, I suppose.  It's not like I lost the 5 pounds I am forever trying to lose after all.  I didn't learn a foreign language or build us a garage.  It's just a photograph. 

But I've been watching Joy take amazing dragonfly photos for 3 years now while I failed time after time after time.....  If I fail at something long enough, it becomes a mission.  (Cue the Mission Impossible Music)   Even if it's a silly small thing like, putting on eyeliner without crayoning all over my face (that one was a long hard road, my friends) or perfecting a new recipe, or learning a new piano piece and everyone is grateful that I have headphones plugged into the keyboard!). I just keep at it. Work, work, work.

And now I've done it!  Woohoo!

And it happened so unexpectedly!  Tim and I were walking down the  the jetty watching the dolphins and the boats and the pelicans and the water.   It was a beautiful day too. Like an intermission in the midst of this very rainy season.  There were a  lot of fisher people there that day too, up and down the jetty. We had to kind of weave through them on our stroll.  I noticed that  one fellow had numerous fishing poles set up at the same time.  He would wedge the butt end into the rocks and walk up and down checking on them.  

As we passed by his little set up, I saw a rather large dragonfly land on the tip of one of those wedged fishing poles. I gasped a little bit and came to a dead stop. Oh my. There. It Is. Right........There.  Oh my gosh, Oh my gosh!  As I fumbled for my camera (phone) which I had in my back pocket, Tim realized that I was no longer walking beside him and came back to find me.  My eyes never left the dragonfly.  It was like I had laser vision, locked onto target.  I stepped closer tiny bit by tiny bit, not wanting to scare him away.

I crooned to the dragonfly softly, 'I'm not going to hurt you Mr. Dragonfly.  Stay right there.  I only want to take your picture". I fully expected him to fly away just as I lifted the camera and began to center and focus, because that is what has always happened before.  I mean always. Every single doggone time!  

I think I was holding my breath as I heard Tim say softly to someone behind me, "She is taking a picture of that dragonfly"  He always has my back.  Every so slowly and quietly,  I raised the camera, centered and focused and snap!  And the dragonfly didn't fly away!  Shocked, I snapped several more quick shots while I could.   Then I decided that I had pushed my luck far enough.  I said, "Thank you", to the dragonfly of course.  It's just the polite thing to do, and then stepped away and we continued our walk.

  I was delighted and frankly, shocked that it finally happened.

I admit that it isn't the greatest photo in the world, but it is, unmistakably, a dragonfly so it counts!  Mission accomplished.  I'm not sure what this proves.  That I have developed patience at long last?  That good things come to those who wait (as I have always heard)?  That if I keep at something long enough, I will finally get it ? (except with sewing...I will never get sewing)  I don't know, maybe it doesn't mean anything at all other than, I can cross that particular photo goal off my list.

Of course, I still want to capture a frolicking dolphin and I would love to get a shot of lightening.  That would be awesome.  I don't know if I will ever achieve those goals, but I know for sure that if I don't try, I absolutely won't.   One down, two to go!  

Well, until I add more goals to the list anyway.

Have a terrific weekend everyone!