I got a new strap for my camera this week. I was pretty excited because my old strap was pretty worn out. The old strap had two sides, one with cotton and the other with a rubber type substance. And I used each side depending on what I was wearing. Just any normal shirt I'd put the cotton side against my shoulder so I could easily move the strap. But if I had a jacket of some sort on, I'd put the rubber side against my shoulder to prevent it from sliding off the jacket.
I went to make the switch today and had to stop and think if I really wanted to get rid of my old strap. I mean, it's just so comfortable... like an old pair of shoes or an old hat that might look like hell, but is just too much a part of you to get rid of. But I finally made the switch, but not without thinking about what me and the old strap have been through.
(Que sappy music)
-Two Major Hurricanes
-Katrina
-Rita
-One Tropical Storm
-Cindy
-Two full seasons of home Saints games, including...
-One NFL divisional playoff game between the Saints and Eagles
-Two Monday night football games (including the first game back at the Dome after Katrina)
-About a 10 LSU regular season games (don't feel like looking up exactly how many)
-6 college bowl games
-Houston Bowl
-Two New Orleans Bowls
-Two Sugar Bowls
-BCS National Championship
-One KSU football victory over Texas where I rushed the field and tore down the goal posts
-One KSU football victory over Colorado (Kelly Glasscock used it for this game)
-A workshop in Portland Ore.
-A trip to New York City
-5 (I think) Trips to Manhattan Kansas
-It's been swimming with me at the water park
-It spent a week with me at girl scout camp in June of 2006
-Its been a part of one state basketball championship
-and three state runner up basketball teams
-Two state soccer championships
-Its kept me company at countless meetings, speeches and award ceremonies
-Its been placed on levees throughout Terrebonne parish
-It's been hung on hooks on the inside of bathroom stall doors
-I've taken it inside houses and buildings that have recently caught fire
-It took a week to get the smoke smell out of the strap after going inside the World of Wings after that fire.
-I've used it to dry my hands
-It's seen...
-Green Day
-Gov. Bobby Jindal
-Jimmy Buffett
-Spike Lee
-Bon Jovi
-Bono and U2
-Stewart Scott
-Jimmy Johnson
-countless NFL stars
-plenty of college football stars
-George Bush the dad
-and I'm sure others I can't think of
-It's seen the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf of Mexico
-It's been to Jazz Fest in New Orleans
-It's been up and down Bourbon Street
And you know what... those are just the bigger things this strap has been through. I'm not even going to mention how many high school football, volleyball, basketball, baseball or softball games this thing as watched. Don't forget track, cross country, tennis and soccer.
or how many community theater practices it's sat through
or how many kids playing basketball or skate boarding in the streets it's seen
or how many road races its watched the start and finish of
or how many self portraits of me its seen
And I can't even begin to think how many times the strap saved my camera from having to spend weeks in the shop. I know I drop my camera quite a bit, but I always hold the strap in such a way that if I do drop it... no worries.
I think you get the point. And I'm sure there are plenty of other stories out there that this strap could tell.
And I welcome any stories some of you might have about my camera strap.
R.I.P Canon EOS camera strap. And may the new strap, with its little joint things to prevent the strap from getting twisted, experience and help the way the original strap did.
