Keep Film in Your Camera

In 1998 I worked for a company that did promotions in Australia. I went down on a business trip for three weeks. I saw the sights and worked hard! Everywhere I went I took my camera with me. I was snapping pictures of everything.

Now let me qualify this, waaay back in 1998 there was no such thing as a digital camera. We used what was called film. It was a crazy thing, you opened up the back of your camera, pulled a little film canister out of your pocket, and wound it in to the camera.

Everyone caught up? Good.

Three weeks long I was taking pictures of myself with baby kangaroos, holding koala bears, seeing some of the ugliest bugs I'd ever laid eyes on, playing Cricket on the beach, and making new friends.

"Wow," I kept thinking to myself, "there is a lot of film in this camera!"

I kept snapping photos, but the film never ran out! The camera would stop automatically and rewind the film, I kept reminding myself. So, I kept going. Snapping, photos left and right.

Three weeks later after I returned to the good ole' U.S. of A., I grabbed my camera and told everyone how excited I was to develop the photos I took Down Under.

I opened the back of my 'fool-proof' camera and found a hollow interior. Three weeks of photos wasted because I took for granted there was film in the camera in the first place! Argh!

Now I understand that we all have those moments, call it Murphy's Law, Blonde Moments, or whatnot where we are caught not quite as prepared as we thought we were. I have a mantra for the world. Keep film in your camera. Life is much more satisfying if we are prepared.

So, my advice to all of us out there...everyone please, please make sure there is film in your camera!