Interesting how tiny things can form drama, a little act on a tiny stage, with a breathless audience of one.
On the drive to work this morning, I noticed my odometer was 77770.
“Ooo,” I thought, “it’s going to change to 77777 in just a few miles!”
I remembered that I had my camera in my pocket, and I fished it out. Without looking, I turned the mode knob all the way to the left, then one click to the right. It was now in “auto”. All I would have to do is turn it on and press the shutter, which I could also do without looking. I was all set to capture the event.
As I neared work, I periodically eyed the odometer, watching it tick slowly forward. It looked like it might line up perfectly with my arrival at work, then I could take my time and actually get a shot that was in focus.
Finally I came to a a stop in the parking lot, camera resting in my lap. The odometer read: 77776.
I considered driving a couple circuits around the parking lot, but there was a lot of traffic from people arriving at work, so I decided it would have to wait.
Driving home after work, I stopped for gas and suddenly remembered the odometer from that morning. I quickly glanced down, knowing it was too late: 77781. I sighed, shut the car off, and got out of the car to pump some gas.