Whoa, stop!

Have you ever found yourself going so fast in one direction, especially the wrong direction, that you just could not stop? When I was a kid acting on impulse, my engineer father would say, "Hold your horses and think about what you are doing." I never quite understood him until I watched cowboys "bulldog" at a rodeo.

So often we act impulsively and jump headfirst into a project, activity, or decision without thinking about the consequences -- good and bad -- but nevertheless, consequences. We trip over the details to move ahead because we know, "It's the right thing to do," at least in our minds.

I'm not sure why this image and thought come to mind right now. Perhaps, it has something to do with the upcoming political conventions, the presidential election, and all the verbal attacks by, and on, each candidate. Sure, I could join the forray with a barrage of cynical remarks, but why add fuel to the runaway verbal fire. It really is time to say, "Whoa, stop. Hold your horses." Think about the issues, the policies, the details, and the consequences, then make your decision.

Times Square tourist trap

I always wondered what "M&M" stood for. Now I know, "Monster Merchandiser."

We met our daughter and her family in New York City last month for a day of sightseeing and fun. We ended our day at the M&M store on Times Square, truly a monument of "gotcha" merchandising.

They had every toy, shirt, puzzle, car, truck, and hat that ever bore the M&M logo, even boxer shorts. As usual, I set off all the sirens on the toy police cars and fire engines, just like I do in Kmart at Christmas, but my family has learned to ignore me when I do that -- then I spotted the M&M dispenser wall.

The dispenser wall was actually about one hundred or more ten-foot long clear acrylic tubes with a nozzle at the bottom, similar to a coffee bean dispenser at the grocery store. It was a chocoholic's delight, and yes, I was in candy-coated peanut heaven. There were plastic bags conveniently located at the end of the wall just waiting to be loaded. My son-in-law and I both missed the small print $13 per pound sign and just started loading our bags with our favorite colors.

We got to the scale at the end of the wall and figured we probably had about ten dollars worth of M&Ms each. He was several places in line ahead of me so I couldn't see his total, but I did see him put his cash away and whip out a credit card. I chuckled until it was my turn, yikes!

Suffice it to say, we counted out a portion each day, just like vitamin pills, and savored every last one as we let them melt in our mouth, right down to the peanut.

Fiat dot car

As we took a break from our “dot com” world this week, the first thing we spotted as we drove into Falls Village, Connecticut was a “dot car” in front of the local library. It seems we just can’t get away from every kind of “dot.”  A local resident who restores Fiats and Alpha Romeos lent the 1959 Fiat to the David M. Hunt Library for kids to cover with dots during two days in July.

We stopped at the local cafe and community gathering spot for lunch. When we finished, the owner sat down with us to have one of those “you’re new in town aren’t you” talks. I don’t think we have ever been so warmly received so fast, especially in Connecticut, not only by him, but other business owners as well. Although we plan to go back in September for a more in depth Main Street photowalk, we photographed the Fiat “dot car” just in case it wouldn’t be there when we returned. 

By the way, speaking of our dot com world, here is a link to a time lapse video clip of the two-day dot-a-thon. Hope it hits the spot.

Branding

When you think of a product, what do you visualize? Is it a name, a picture, a logo or graphic element? Today we call it "branding." We found this wooden crate for Diamond Ginger Ale outside an old hardware store in Woodbury, CT. It was a product that the Diamond Bottling Company began selling in the 1860s. It's distinctive branding lasted more than a century before the company went out of business, but there is no doubt about the significance of Diamond Ginger Ale as an all purpose family beverage, sort of a carbonated cure-all. It didn't need television or radio; its unique branding was enough.

There are a few television commercials that I find so annoying, that I would never consider their products because I associate the annoying sounds and visual images with the product they are promoting. In other words, it has become part of their branding. I guess I'm just not drawn to babies in cribs with adult voices convincing me to buy investment products, full insurance coverage pitched by people in white suits, or a Dennis Kucinich look-a-like sliding down a drainpipe holding a bottle of vegetable juice. And how about an animal with an Australian accent or mischievous, talking bullfrogs?

I worked for a designer many years ago who always reminded me that, "Simplicity is the essence of design." I think it especially applies to the rapid-response culture in which we all operate today as we are constantly exposed to so many messages and so much branding. Keep it simple, keep it unique, on-message, consistent, and timeless. Who knows, maybe it will become a classic like Diamond Ginger Ale.

Easter

Easter, the last and most significant day of Holy Week for Christians all over the world. It began with the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem for a week of celebration only to end with His crucifixion, burial and finally His resurrection from the dead. To some He was a significant person in history, but to believers, He is the source of salvation, forgiveness of sin, and eternal life.

Many celebrate the week by actually walking the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, often stopping at the twelve places that Jesus stopped as He carried the cross to Golgotha. Churches set up similar prayer stations to help people visualize the experience. Occasionally, we will hear about men who will actually let themselves be nailed to a cross in a similar fashion to relive the experience. For some, Easter is the one day out of the year that they actually go to church.

Some people use the occasion to celebrate the dawning of spring and new growth after a long cold winter. We deck ourselves out in new clothes, we have Easter egg hunts, fill baskets with candy and chocolate rabbits. Some cities have parades and other festivities to mark the day, and of course, retailers are quick to jump at the opportunity to commemorate it with a sale.

But no matter how people celebrate or remember, no one has been able to duplicate His death, burial, and resurrection. It only happened once, but that's all that we needed. Unlike these baskets that go on a shelf until next Easter, our relationship with Jesus Christ lives on. It's not something to be celebrated once a year, but something to be lived every day.

What arrow?

One arrow. One man. Both lonely and silent, yet they have so much to say to us. We look at the arrow and the direction, and the message is obvious, "Go this way," yet we look at the man and he's going the other way. People often say, "Go against the flow, step outside the box, or don't be afraid to go off in your own direction." But that doesn't work for everyone, especially when the direction we should be headed is so obvious.

My arrow was a twenty-five year career in corporate communications which eventually led to developing our own photography business. Although it was a broad arrow, the direction I needed to take was obvious. Yes, there have been some blemishes and cracks along the way, but I was glad that I never turned my back and wandered off in the other direction.

So where does that leave you? Is there a bold arrow in your life that you chose to ignore? Did you even see the arrow, or did you miss the point altogether?

Fair weather friends

Warm weather brings out some of the coolest people, many of whom become my "new best friends," at least for ten or fifteen minutes, anyway. We found this musical duo on a bench in Collinsville, Connecticut. We were eating lunch at a sidewalk table in front of the Lasalle Market & Deli, across the street, and these guys were just enjoying the surprisingly warm 80 degree day in March, as they laughed and strummed.

Neither one sang, nor did they play loud enough or long enough to gather a crowd. In fact, I was the only crowd, as Lois went and hid in the car as soon as she saw me take off my glasses and pick up my camera. It seems she knew we weren't leaving soon.

I did my usual preliminary check for visible gang tattoos, chains, brass knuckles, guns or knives before I moved in and started photographing them. I always use a wide angle lens for subjects like this, and then get in as close as I can, well inside their personal space.

I'm not sure why one has such a surprised look on his face. Could it be because I was resting my elbow on his knee? Perhaps, but when his friend pointed his finger at me and said, "Are you going to let him get away with that?", I decided it was time to leave.

P.S. Always carry a camera, and don't be afraid to use it!