You Might See a Picture Like This Elsewhere...

I snapped this photo of Miguel, Mary and Cathy the other day at Discovery Green in Houston before the music began and before Morgan and Matt joined us. Sorry guys that you did not make the blog on this one. Good news though, you might make someone's blog. 

While we were grooving to the music, and by grooving I don't mean I was up doing some kind of hippie twirl dance but that Cathy was reclined back in my lap as I sat cross legged with the others laid about on Mexican blankets with remains of our picnic supper gathered around close in case we needed another little done bite. A young woman with excellent camera gear stopped by and asked if she could take our picture for the Green's web site. at least that's what they told me she said. I have a little trouble hearing questions like this while live music is going on and if me and you share a stage and you say "1, 2, ready go key of "D" I might start playing in the key of "B." But at least she asked and it will be ok if my picture ends up on her blog because she did ask and I said ok. 

I don't always ask if I can put you on my web site. I do sometimes as I did this weekend when a former Bishop of the Diocese of Tyler visited St Patrick's. I said "Bishop, do you mind if I use your photo on our Church web page and in social media?" He said, "Of course not!" That was nice and it made me nice also and I was extra careful to position the Bishop so it did not look like incidental background items were growing out of his head. I did not ask this guy if I could use his photo.

As I walked by this young man who was playing quite well I noted that a copy of "Catcher in the Rye" lay by his side. I guess it's popular again. I read it when I was this age. Wiki notes that the novel deals with complex issues of identity, belonging, alienation, and connection. Now Salinger is dead, there's a documentary and more books will be published. Salinger will make more money than he ever did when alive and in the meantime I stole a picture of one of his readers for my blog. May be in the absence of complex issues I would have asked but I used my usual technique of walking past the subject and pretending to take a leak while snapping the photo. 

So this young man becomes more connected than he might imagine with the appearance of his photo here. He now belongs and hopefully would not be alienated by my use of his photo. I certainly hope my photo makes the Discovery Green Web page but then I am in the money, compliments and publicity business and I believe complex issues might be a little less so than we think.