A 4th grade child with a 10-D!

[Big John]

I was chaperoning my son's fourth grade field trip to Old World Wisconsin the other day when I noticed another chaperone with a proffessional-looking camera. Curious, I went up to him and asked what model Canon that was. He told me he really didn't know. I took a look at it and saw it was a 10-D with a very expensive looking wide angle lens. He must have seen the look of confusion on my face when he answered my question, and he went on to tell me that it was his mother's camera.

She had been diagnosed with degenerative Multiple Sclerosis by the state, and as such was entitled to recieve vocational assistance. She was attending a local community college and wanted to study photography so the state government supplied her with a 10-D, a nice variety of lenses, a new computer and "some sort of photoshop thing" as he described it to me. "Good for her!" I thought to myself and went about wandering around with the class I was assigned to watch.

After a while, I noticed that he handed the camera off to his daughter so that she could snap some pictures. At first he seemed to be carefully watching her to make sure she was treating it with the respect it deserved, but after awhile he seemed to care less. Before long, the girl was sitting on the very dusty ground, reviewing her pictures with the lens resting on the dirt! I almost choked on my gum! I pointed this out to her father, and he looked at me like I was being rude. I asked him if he knew how much that camera outfit was worth, and he replied said he didn't know. When I told him that the last time I looked at the price of the 10-D, that it was over twelve hundred dollars and that the lens could possibly be a few hundred more, he just shrugged his shoulders and said that his mom doesn't use it much anymore!

I guess I shouldn't get so excited about this because it really is none of my business, but WOW, I don't hardly trust my fourth-grader with my old Sony point and shoot! I just thought I would share this with you.

[Maureen Souza]

If they'd had to pay for that camera and lenses, I bet that kid wouldn't be allowed to touch it. Goes to show something I've long believed...if you have to work hard for something, earn and save for it, you appreciate it much more. People are much less responsible when things are given to them.

[4nR]

Sigh, that made me cringe. its a shame that the father didnt appreciate cameras enough to treat it like some disposable.

[Michaelmjc]

Wow, that father needs a good swift kick in the pants. I agree Maureen, you appreciate things more when you work hard for them.

[acura nsx pilot]

I would have made him an offer on the camera right there .

[PhotosGuy]

That's your tax dollars at work! ;-)

[mdm]

Our tax dollars. Sounds like somebody(s) needed a swift kick in the rear.

[Redbird_xo]

If they'd had to pay for that camera and lenses, I bet that kid wouldn't be allowed to touch it. Goes to show something I've long believed...if you have to work hard for something, earn and save for it, you appreciate it much more. People are much less responsible when things are given to them.

I've been there and done that. Absolutely agree with you. If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't mind growing up in a wealthier family. ;)

[mdm]

They are in a wealthy family. Uncle Sam.

[Redbird_xo]

I don't want to be too technical here and certainly don't want to be stepping on anybody's toes...

But the thread starter clearly stated that, and I quote, "so the state government supplied her with a 10-D, a nice variety of lenses..." It appears that the taxpayers of WI are the "generous donor" here. Uncle Sam doesn't really get involved directly. In addition, on the face of it, we don't know if the Wisconsin state government is getting any federal money in this regard. Hence, we can't really directly tie this event to Uncle Sam and his families. ;)

[Big John]

Redbird is correct: it was a state program, but I have no idea if federal dollars are involved. As a taxpayer, I don't mind seeing some money going to the poor woman to help her advance, it was just the whole mistreatment of the equipment thing that got me.

I had to save money for a very long time to work up to a D-Rebel, and then save money again for an external flash, and save money yet again for some inexpensive lenses. As Maureen commented above, some people just don't appreciate what they have.....

[Gerdav43]

Ummmm.....while I realize that the government is in to wasting buckets of money lets look at the other side of this story. While we feel sorry for the camera. The man did not care because "she does not use it much anymore". I would suggest that this may be the case because she is so debilitated from her MS that she cannot function physically. This man has much greater worries on his plate.

I know this because I speak from some experience. My best friend's wife has MS and this disease slowly but surely robs you of your life. Some more than others. In her thirties she is at the point of having to ride a motorized scooter to keep up with her children. She has limited vision in one eye, constant numbing in her extremities. They call it numbing but it's actually the feeling you get when your arm falls asleep. You know pins and needles. Constant exhaustion. That's just the beginning. It's a horrible disease with no cure.

While we pray for the safety of the camera and the lens, let's pray a little more and then a lot more for this man's wife who is not at the zoo with her husband and child because she probably can't get there anymore.

[PhotosGuy]

Good point, Gerdav43.