my favorite chair sits on the side of a winding road, kept safe from traffic by a metal guardrail. it is a little worse for wear, but it makes me smile each and every time i see it. how it came to live out its days on the side of the road, i’ll probably never know, but it seems to belong there. it fits naturally into the scenery, weathering hot steamy days or damp chilly nights with grace and ease.
i’ve wanted to take pictures of my chair for a long time and i’ve made up a lot of excuses as to why i couldn’t: i only have my camera phone with me, it’s dangerous – i could be hit by a passing car, i’m no photographer, it’s too hot, to cloudy, to wet, to something. this week, though, i decided that i was done making excuses. i hoped in the car, armed with my camera and a sense of purpose, and made my way towards my chair.
being that my chair is located on the side of a rather narrow and winding road, it was neccesary to park on a nearby side-street and that make my way back to the roadside. the dry grass whispered as i walked, dragonflies and butterflies fluttered up from their perches with almost every step, bees droned in the wildflowers lining the road, and birds chattered amongst themselves in the treetops. sounds seemed both louder and muffled at the same time. it was a peaceful little walk that soon led me to my chair. i darted across the street, high-stepped over the guardrail (trying very hard not to think about potential bugs) and finally faced by chair.
it was interesting to finally see the whole chair up-close, usually i can only see the top of it as i drive past. now i could see that its seat is broken, which probably explains how it came to be abandoned… despite this, i find it beautiful. i took my time taking pictures, trying out different angles, going in for close-ups, focusing on small sections, trying to capture in the stillness of film, the way i see my chair. i paid little attention to the occasional car that flew along beside me, other than to be thankful for the guardrail. it was a time of stillness and adventure. a small adventure, perhaps, but one all the same.
i love my chair.
