ELSIE'S CAMERA

by Terry Stevens

Elsie and that camera.

I swear the girl couldn't truly appreciate a thing this world has to offer unless she was looking at it though a lens.

You'd have thought she owned stock in Kodak.  Every moment, every little thing that caught her eye, CLICK, CLICK and CLICK. Conversations would be punctuated by flashbulbs and flim winding.  It's like she was trying to document the world, making sure that nothing went forgotten.

"Oh Elsie, look at those flowers."

"Oh, they're gorgeous!"  CLICK!

"Aw, what a cute puppy."

"Awwwwww."  CLICK!

"Elsie, this is the guy I've been telling you about...

CLICK!

"...Mark."

According to her Facebook status, today marks their 30th wedding anniversary.  I'm not bitter.  I've lived a full life since that day.  A successful career, a loving family with the man that I love, all of the comforts a woman could ask for.

I found this photo on her page too.  I see the hurt in my eyes.  I see the sting of betrayal in my heart.  I see that camera.

While I should say that I want for nothing, I still want to smash that camera into her dumb face.