Old Photo

I came across this photo the other day. This picture was taken on either a typical Saturday or a typical Sunday, back in May of 1994.

I don’t really have a lot to say about this photo, but in ways I can’t articulate, it’s one of my favorites. Maybe I like it because of the way the kids are dressed - each of them are in their typical attire for that period in time.

Or maybe I like it because of where it was taken. It was taken at the same college that Sam and I now frequent (and at times, still do with his brother and his sisters, when they’re around.) 

Back then, we didn’t call it “the college.” We called it “the ducky place.” The fact that there happened to be a school building sitting directly behind us was irrelevant. 

Some things have changed since this photo was taken. For example, behind where that trailer sits, there’s now another college building - a building that's been there for years.

The perimeter of the pond, which looks clean and trimmed in this photo, is now a little more overgrown - semi-surrounded by brush and by trees that have seemingly grown out of nowhere. And the fence is kind of worn and it leans in various places. 

Also, you can see a few geese and even a duck in this photo. But as I've mentioned before, many times, there aren’t any ducks in the pond this year. Or any geese, either. Other than a family of turtles and a couple of frogs, the pond sits mostly silent and depressingly empty. 

I guess the biggest difference is that I don’t have any little kids that stand on fence rails anymore. But then again, with no ducks in the pond, maybe there would be no reason to stand on fence rails in the first place. 

I miss those ducks.