day 122 of 365

Click to photo to read the text.

This is the last outtake from our vacation photos. Those of you who have been following this blog for awhile know how I feel about guns -- not a fan. What struck me about this sign is that it highlighted just one of the the many political and philosophical differences between Massachusetts and Virginia. Here in Massachusetts you can get suspended for bringing a plastic picnic knife to school, but in Virginia you can buy a toy gun on a school field trip with the permission of a teacher. But I promise I won't get all political on you. It's just one tiny example of the deep divisions in this country.

Suffice it to say it was a big stretch for me to stay at my brother's house and sleep in the same room with his gun cabinet full of firearms and ammunition. But I did it, and now I'm back home, safe in my own room. :)

Hannah, as you can see, oblivious to my inner turmoil, liked the pink one.

day 89 of 365

I participate in the monthly Boston.com RAW Amateur photo contest. There's a theme each month, and it's been really interesting to see what people submit and what the judges (who are professional photographers) have to say about the entries. Though so much of art is subjective, and I don't always agree with the final choices, I always learn something about technique and composition.

This month's contest theme is "The Items We Carry," and we are supposed to depict things we carry in our pockets and bags that people don't usually see. Right away the contest was flooded with photos of people's guns, and it turned out that a gun rights group had gotten wind of the contest and decided to make a political statement. The debate raged in the comments forum, and it generated more feedback than any other monthly theme.

So the above is my submission for this month's contest. It's not a particularly great photo, but more of a political statement of my own. Title it "the pen is mightier than the sword" or "books, not guns." An infinitesimal gesture in a crazy world.

day 7 of 365

I've been reading the latest PostSecret book. Here is one of my own secrets, revealed. It happened when I was just 19, only a few years older than my children are now. So today, I send this out into the universe and set it free. Be at peace, Jay.