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| Path: Main Street : NewsWeek : Archive : Coffee with Cam Articles : Article |
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Brian's picture
By Cam Tait
August 8, 2006
Just when you're about to call the boss before deadline and sheepishly mutter those three infamous words every columnist hates to say - "I have nothing" - a gift lands right in front of your eyes. You mull over it for a few hours, hoping to craft something that does justice to the gift you've just encountered. Then, you sit down at the keyboard with a plan in mind, but not positive it will come to anything close to what you're thinking. Or hoping.
It was last Thursday, at the side of a handball court of all places, with the morning sun beaming in all of its glory. My colleague Brian knelt down beside me to share a story. He's an award-winning photographer for the same newspaper I work for. He has shot some amazing stuff and goes the extra mile to get the image he wants...the right image: like the time a small-engine aircraft smashed into the top of a downtown Edmonton hospital. The crash area was cordoned off. But not for Brian. He grabbed a white hospital smock and snuck on an elevator, disguised as a hospital worker, got to the roof, pulled out his camera and had the front page picture the next day.
Brian's legs never get cold, either. He's been shooting Edmonton Eskimo games for years. And in the middle of a November snowstorm, you'll see Brian out there with his tripod, dressed in shorts. He's a character - one of the hard workin' newspaper men with a free spirit, which in itself is a dying breed - and is a great role model for up and comers. I could spend a few dozen words about how he loves to eat and always looks for a meal on every assignment - a true newspaper personality - but I won't.
Thursday was the first time I had seen Brian for a while. I put out my hand when he came toward me and we spoke of his father. Brian was especially close to his dad, who lived to 88. When dementia - or, "the long goodbye" as a friend once softly put it - set in, Brian talked about the disease and how it changed his father, how he became someone different. He said whenever he was with his parents, even in years long ago, there was always a camera handy. In the later stages of his dad's life, Brian always made sure he had his own camera with him.
He photographed the last months of his dad's journey. It was during one of these visits that Brian captured a gift for himself. As he describes it, there's excitement in his voice, just as if he's heading back to the office with a great news photo. There's also deep-rooted emotion. It's an image frozen in time and something that will never, ever leave Brian's heart or mind. And it's a reminder that special gifts in our lives may come at the least-expected times. Now, I share Brian's gift with you. "I photographed," he said, then pausing to catch his breath and composure, "the last time my Mom and Dad kissed."
Cam Tait is a sports reporter for the Edmonton Journal. He covered charitable issues for almost 20 years. Thoughts, comments, ideas or a simple hello are welcomed at cam@charityvillage.com.
Opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of CharityVillage.com®.
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