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It’s Easier to Build Strong Children Than to Repair Broken Men
All things truly wicked start from innocence
The first thing that drew my attention was their laughter.
I was seated on a nearby bench in “The District,” an outdoor plaza of shops and restaurants not far from my home. I go there sometimes with my rangefinder camera to capture candid images of daily life. People’s expressions, especially when they think no one is observing, reveal a great deal.
Faces of happiness, sadness, distraction, defeat, hope, and more.
This is why I enjoy street photography, because one can capture real life. Not the phony, posed, curated images we see on social media feeds. Or the photoshopped faces of celebrities and stars that adorn the magazines in our grocery store check-out aisles. Candid street photographs freeze and memorialize real life. And they sometimes inspire stories for me to write.
Just as the cheerful school kids turned the corner by my bench, I was able to discreetly photograph them.
They were laughing, giggling, and having fun. Not a care in the world. At least not at that moment. Their levity called up memories of my own teenage exploits with friends. Back when every day was an adventure, and life felt less serious and carefree.
“There’s nothing more contagious than the laughter of young children; it doesn’t even have to matter what they’re laughing about.” — Criss Jami, Killosophy
Those giggling kids uplifted me. Made me feel more hopeful.
But then, shortly after they disappeared into the many shops, I overheard a man and woman arguing. I couldn’t make out what they were arguing about, but the man rode off angrily on his bicycle and the woman began strolling towards me, rolling her bicycle alongside.
I kept my camera on my lap, and tilted it up ever slightly to snap a few silent shots.
At first, I thought the woman noticed this, but then it became apparent she was oblivious to me, lost in anguished thoughts. And the sad, almost haunted expression on her face, summoned memories of so many…
