Photo Phreak

Have I caused any of you Abby overload yet? I deeply apologize. It is just from my point of view, I can't get enough. I realized, though, that I might have a problem when I had two rolls to be developed from the past...week. I dropped them off Monday night for one hour developing and could hardly sleep that night waiting to pick them up Tuesday morning.

After a morning of convincing Abby she had injested enough food for a quick car ride, we were off! It was sprinkling outside but nothing was going to stop us from picking up those pictures. We dodged the disgruntled Walmart customers driving haphazardly in the parking lot, jumped over puddles and even found time to pretend we did not see the Salvation Army man (or hear his bell ringing). No time for charity, Mommy needs her Abby picture fix.



All the carts were soaked inside, but a Walmart employee noticed me in my panic, and offered me a dry cart. I hope I remembered to thank her. I took the cart and put Abby's car seat in. I stood at the front of the store and planned my path to the picture booth. I know the shortest way distance wise, however, that path is generally clogged with traffic due to the registers. No, instead, I would walk through the clothing department (always empty). As I passed the maternity section, I saw the One Hour Photo sign hanging in the air 20 feet in front of me. I felt simultaneously excited and relieved.

As I got closer, I see there is no line. Impossible! But, there was one obstacle. The photo lab manager. A middle aged woman who chats with me about her life every single time she sees me. She makes Abby and I uncomfortable because she always asks to see Abby but then just stares at her. Does she smile? No. Does she ask any questions about Abby? No. She just stares at her. It is the way I would stare at a meal which I knew I hated, served to me by a friend in their home. Do you eat it? Do you respectfully decline? Do you try and feed it to the dog?



In order to break the strange gaze, I always ask her a question or try and divert her energy somehow. Maybe that is why we always end up talking about her. So far, I have learned she has a new puppy, new God-daughter, has worked there 4 years, hates her God-daughters mother and apparently thinks Abby is dogfood.

Anyhow, after an update on the new puppy and how her mother spoils it, I was able to ask for my pictures.

2 packages?

Yes, I answer, ashamed like she understands it has only been a week. Ashamed that she has seen the photos and knows I took the same picture 4 times to make sure I got a great shot. Ashamed she doesn't see the difference between those 4 shots. But there are differences and each picture is perfect. I almost wanted to take the pictures out and show her how in one shot Abby looks amazed, while in the other she is about to smile. I wanted to show her that it is important to capture all those emotions because Abby can't yet speak her feelings. I wanted to show her how one picture shows her dimple, while the other emphasizes the beautiful color of her eyes. I wanted to show her all of that but she didn't even see that looking at the actual Abby who was sitting right in front of her.



Defeated, I continued shopping and didn't look at my pictures. When I finally got back to the car, I opened the first envelope and saw the first picture. Perfect! Suddenly, everything feels right again and I realize, it doesn't matter that the middle-aged photo lab manager with the new puppy can't see her perfection. I see it, I know it and I am so thankful for it. I can't wait to get home, show them off and store them just as preciously as gold.