Food Mart with signs, including one saying, "Peace on Earth"

Peace on Earth, wouldn't that be great! So, it's cigarettes, ATM, lotto, energy drinks, beer, wine, and Peace on Earth.

Truth be told, I took the series of three shots that compose this panorama quite hastily. I was made uncomfortable when a woman stamped up to me and angrily condescended me for not asking her permission prior to taking photographs of the area in which she was sitting (she was initially sitting on the curb, and at the time this picture was taken she was leaning against the Volvo.) She wanted to know why I didn't just take the picture closer to the store front if I what I was interested in was the "Peace on Earth" sign. I explained that I wanted to get the whole store front in the frame. I told her that it was a public space, especially since I was shooting from the sidewalk. She was angry. I could smell alcohol on her breath. People have a lot going on in their lives. There is a lot of emotional grief and stress. I can understand how being photographed might seem intrusive. But it is too bad. It would be better if everyone was happy to be photographed, because of a desire to share their joy with the world... There are a lot of people without enough joy. Too many people without enough joy. There might even be a lot of people without any joy. Maybe someday it will be better.

Of course, there are certainly other factors than a "lack of joy" for peoples' dissent of being photographed. For example, in this case, I think the woman's fear of being reported to authorities was a clearer concern. She said something like, fine, go report me to whoever you're going to. Which seemed to be a paranoid reaction, but maybe she has reason to worry.

And she was probably right: I probably should have asked permission to take the photos beforehand.

Olympia, Washington
June 29, 2008