Thursday, February 28, 2008

True confessions

For whatever reason, I have never any luck with cameras. I've always had this unattainable dream of owning a nice (functioning) camera for more than 6 months. Alas, it is not in the stars for it to be so. A brief history of my most recent cameras ensues. 1. Beautiful 35 mm SLR: my dear friend lost it in the dark recesses of her bedroom... never to be found again. 2. Another brilliant 35 mm SLR: my little brother was playing with it, left it out in theblazing Utah sun, and fried the thing. 3. I bought my first digital camera ever 2 days before I went to Bolivia. First week into it, the hotel boy we had played cards with the night before took off with my camera and never returned to work. 4. Bought a nice digital camera a few months before I went to the DR. Unforunately, sudden torrential downpours are common in the Caribbean, and the water ruined my camera. As you can see, cameras + Heather = bad. The short-lived nature of my cameras, however, has not kept me from yearning for a new one as soon as the old one goes kaput.
My cameralessness is going on 6 months, and every time I look at my empty picture folders on my computer, I feel devastated. A sense of desparateness has crept over me, and in a craze today I thought, "Hmmm, wouldn't it be nice if I could somehow get a free camera?" This is where bells should be going off , because, as you see, it is nearly impossible to get something for nothing. But instead of abandoning this idea, this great desire to own a camera drove me to type "free camera" in the Google search bar. My delusion was in full swing when I came upon a site where you try products out for free and get a Nikon D300 as an incentive. Mind you, Nikon D300s are expensive little cameras, so I was enthused (again, remember I was in a delusional state). I filled out the survey and even agreed to one offer before I realized what I was doing. You know the type - "try this for free, but if you don't cancel and send back the product in 2 days, you will be charged the full $5,000 and will be enrolled in a program that you can never cancel..." For all intents and purposes, I was willingly squandering my privacy, free time, and sanity. I'm glad I caught myself before it was too late. Who knows what might happen next time I'm in this state. Maybe I need to invest in disposable cameras so I don't do something truly crazy.

4 comments:

Jecca Lee Ivie Johnson said...

Sounds to me like you need to invest in a camera case, not just a camera! Also, maybe not such a good idea to lend your camera out to so many people! Although, that would go against your sweet, trusting, giving nature and you would cease to be Heather so I'm not sure if that's the right way to go either! Anyhoo, glad you came to your senses before you traded your life away online for a camera. Trust me, I know from experiences, those emails for phony $500 burger king vouchers and mexico's version of viagra never quit coming! All because you really wanted something free!

M. said...

ha! I agree with Jess :)...minus that viagra bit?! wha?!! miracles happen, start praying- on my mission I did b/c mine gave up the ghost and hello no mission photos?? 2 months later, someone gave me one.
I am in the market soon to buy a nice camera as we were discussing last week. If you give me nice back rubs for oh a year or so I might consider giving you my old one. Hey, maybe you NOT buying one will end this silly curse!:)

Becky said...

You have quite the luck with cameras. I'm glad you snapped out of that momentary craze before it was too late!

I miss you! And all the public Health influence you've had on me. At least I still get some of it from your blog!

zlb said...

one time i suckered for a phone salesman trying to sell me like 13 subscriptions to different magazines and it came with a free watch. . . I didn't want any of that stuff but felt bad for the lady, after about a 45 minute conversation and very nearly committing myself to a lifetime of crappy magazines I came to and got off the phone as quick as I could. and then there was that time that ash and I found a website that would tell you your soulmate if you gave them your phone number. . .endless text adds. . . but his name is river according to the text. . .