By Scott Shephard
In 1972 I took my last Big Family Road Trip with my mom and dad. We went to Alberta, Canada, where we met my uncle Harold and my aunts Mary and Gladys, who all lived in Oregon and Washington. I had just graduated from high school, was 18 and, I felt, too cool to be traveling with a bunch of “old people.” I was also madly in love with Deb and really didn’t want to go on this trip. But, being an agreeable child, I went along.
It was a great trip in part because Alberta, Canada, has abundant beauty. Unfortunately, not all went as planned. In the middle of one of our nights in Banff, my dad was hospitalized and required surgery. The problem was not life threatening and the surgery went well but my dad needed to stay in the hospital to convalesce and was told that a long car journey back to South Dakota would not be good for him.
Thus, my mom and I would need to leave Dad behind and drive the 1200 miles home. We checked into a small hotel room that had twin beds, where this photo was taken. Given the coffee in my Mom’s hand, I’m thinking this photo was taken on the morning we headed for home.
I have forgotten much about this trip and I certainly don’t remember taking this photo. There is something about this image of my mother that captivates me. Is she anxious? Confident? Tense? Or relaxed? I don’t know. But I like how I and my camera are not really present in this photo. As far as pictures of Bernice are concerned, it is one of a kind.
The two of us made it back to South Dakota and my dad followed a week or so later via train and plane. And life went on as it always seems to do . . . .
Honeywell Pentax SP500 Exposure unknown