Smile for the Camera

Little Ray loved cameras. He asked his mom for a camera ever since his fifth birthday. Every birthday, Christmas, Easter, and Halloween he asked for a camera.

For his tenth birthday, his mother conceded, and got him a camera. He took pictures of everything. The neighbor’s dog, his mom doing laundry, the bus driver, and the mailman. An art dealer saw his photos and wanted to buy as many “Ray Originals” as possible. He had a fresh outlook. He was free from the restraints of structured society. Or, that is what the art dealer said.

Soon Ray was shooting for all the big magazines making the big bucks. He forgot where he came from. He forgot what made him special. Pretty soon people forgot who he was. He returned to his mother, and went back to school.

Ray did grow up, not happily ever after, but he grew up learning from his past mistake of forgetting his roots.

Never forget your roots.