Missed Opportunity

My missed opportunity occurred years before I ever picked up a camera or understood the power of photography.  As a sixteen-year-old going on a family vacation in Thailand, I relied on my parents for the basics like souvenirs and meals.   Regretfully control over the camera was mandated to them as well. 

            One day my brother and I decided to separate from my parents and go exploring on our own. By this point we had been in the country for about two weeks so we had a good idea where to locate most things. Late during the afternoon we jumped in a rickshaw and told the driver we wanted to go to this horseback monastery we had been hearing so much about. Once we got to the monastery it was one of the most welcoming places I have ever entered in my life.  It wasn’t your typical monastery either; the property was located on the top of a mountain and was lined with makeshift buildings.  Each monk was dressed in an orange robe and traveled around on a horse. 

            Although every moment seemed like it should be captured through a lens, there was one moment that stuck out to me in particular. Right before we were about to leave, there was a young boy who couldn’t have been older then ten. His appearance matched that of the other monks and his face held an expression I had never seen before. He seemed so wise yet it looked like he was holding so much back. It felt like something out of National Geographic.  The story his face held alone captivated my interest.

Although I was not able to capture this amazing moment, in some ways I am glad that I didn’t.  I really believe that this missed opportunity turned me into a photographer because I realized the possibilities it held.