The Things We Don't See

Beached

When I made the above photograph, I thought I was making something rather cool.  Plenty of textures in the wood grain, sand, and even a separation in the surrounding dunes.  All that changed the moment I showed it to Rebecca, my wife.  Her immediate response forever emblazoned a horrible truth in my interpretation of this once cool image.  When this particular photograph came up for approval or disapproval, she sat silent for a moment.  What came out of her mouth, ruined this photograph forever.

She turned to me and said:  "Do you want me to be honest?  It looks like a dolphin skull laying face down in the sand."  She quickly pointed out the eye near the top, as well as, the jawline and bottle nose pushed into the sand.  "Don't be mad, it's just what I see."

And now, all I will ever see when I look at this photograph, is the sadness of a dead dolphin, laying on a shoreline, beached.  I'm glad she pointed out the foible of my work, but for one brief moment, I really wanted to see that cool textured piece of drift wood once more.  I just don't think it will ever happen.