[Leica] What would you do if wifey dropped your MP?

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

Howdy folks,
A very interesting topic to say the least given the variation of responses. 
:-) So here's mine . :-)

Now what's first and foremost for you all to understand is... "My wife 
bought me my first camera for birthday May 27, 1950!"  Leading to my first 
newspaper picture 17 September 1951! :-) Followed by her life time of 56 
years of wondering where in the world is my husband? :-)

And completely questioning her sanity at buying the first camera on many an 
occasion. Hell far more than any of you know or understand what she put up 
with without killing me! :-). :-)

If she dropped and smashed it to pieces? Hell so what, it's only a tool, 
it's insured get another as I was going to replace it anyway! Besides what 
could I say to this wonderful life that a dozen or more men or women would 
kill to have enjoyed, suffered the failures, pee'd yer pants with excitement 
and fear and survived to do it all again. ;-)

Nope a Leica is nothing more than a tool in our in hands, if it get's 
smashed what the hell, who cares as it's a not a breathing human. Sure I 
understand most of you are not pro's and have saved your money from income 
to purchase, a damn lot of money. But if you do not have it insured then 
your the idiot for not doing so, given it's a damn expensive tool! Toy?

Look at it this way............ you insure your car, your office and 
belongings, house, life. So why not the camera and lenses of multi thousands 
of dollars?

So if the woman you love dearly and children? My word how could you yell, 
scream at or whatever if one of your children accidentally, and even though 
you told them a thousand times not to "touch daddy's camera" but they blew 
it to pieces and you didn't have it insured?

Now shouldn't you be screaming at you idiot?... "Yourself for not having it 
in replaceable insurance!" And that's the reality of this whole topic. You 
and how you look after and insure your gear!

Besides after you've smashed, like totalled a couple to "miny, minor pieces 
or bent so bad it would make yer mother cry at the site. So when that 
wonderful woman whom you married with great passion and love drops one and 
bends it badly, why in heavens carry on like a wailing banshee over a 
non-breathing item. Besides most of you folks don't make your living from it 
so it's really a no big deal because you wont need it in a couple of hours 
for an important shoot. And for sure "no body died because it got smashed!"

That is unless you can't control your rage at the pieces lying all over the 
drive way and she wailing and cringing in the corner! ;-) And you take 
unfortunate action! :-(

Sure we'd all be upset, that's a reasonable human re-action, put it in the 
context it can be replaced by a phone call or drive to the local camera 
store in 99.9999999999% of the time. Actually who cares.

Heck I'd be more upset if the film were lost more than the camera any day.

My first bad choice response to my wife would be...."Hey no big deal I was 
going to get it replaced anyway!"

Now under certain situations that would be the wrong thing to say to a woman 
you've been married to for 56 years!;-) Because I know her anguish would 
quickly disappear by... "What do you mean you were going to get it 
replaced?" And the attack would have you on the defensive faster than you 
could blink! :-)

Better response, "it's OK dear no big loss, Love ya!" ;-) Give her a big 
hug! But later as you pick-up the pieces don't let your tear drops get salt 
water on the salvageable parts. :-)

ted





----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Aaron Sandler" <aaron.sandler@duke.edu>
To: "Leica Users Group" <lug@leica-users.org>
Sent: Saturday, August 27, 2005 8:21 AM
Subject: Re: [Leica] What would you do if wifey dropped your MP?


> Well written, Ken...Thanks for reminding us to keep things in perspective.
>
> -Aaron
>
> Ken Frazier wrote:
>
>>Not a hard one, IMHO....
>>
>>Tell her you love her!!!
>>
>>There have been times in the past several years, dear LUGers, when my
>>return to photography with Leicas, starting with my M6 from Michael
>>Hintlian, has been a lifesaver for me, giving me some goals, getting me
>>focused, so to speak.... :-)
>>
>>And, there have been more times when I would give it all up, in an
>>instant, for my late wife's presence...
>>
>>There's not a time I go out shooting that I do not think, "I wish she
>>were here to see the light coming through those trees, across that
>>field, on our granddaughter's face....."
>>
>>Nope, not a hard one at all, for me.
>
>
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