Expectations.  Oh, yeah, we’ve got ‘em.

I went out this morning on my daily photo shoot in search of motion subjects.  My usual subjects are cars, trucks, trees in the wind, advertising ribbons at car dealers.

This morning while waiting for the 7 o’clock commuter train to whoosh by, I looked up.  A flag pole with a flag just slightly moving.

The skies were leaden, rain was lightly falling and the background appeared solid gray.  I slowed down my shutter speed to a almost a second.

When I saw this image after I got back home I thought of the Space Shuttle and the election.

I thought of the successful Space Shuttle launches where at some point the booster rockets eject away from the shuttle’s fuel tank and appear to be soaring on their own, but ultimately, (probably only a few seconds in real time), they begin a graceful curve and begin to descend back to earth.

This image of the flag reminds me of those rockets.   It boosts, gives the needed extra thrust and gives the shuttle a chance to make the journey, but it is not the journey itself.

This flag appears to be at the exact point where the booster rockets forward thrust elides into graceful descent.

If the election is like the booster rockets, then that means that, We, the People, are now the main power source.

Gulp.

I left this morning expecting motion.  I came home feeling like I’d been to a Six Flags amusement park, retching after each ride.

I have to go lie down and resolve not to have any more deep thoughts till I’m 65.

( A year and three months away)

©Pat Coakley 2008

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