I have a thing for donkeys. I think they’re adorable. My favourite character in Winnie-the-Pooh was always Eeyore. But this isn’t really a post about donkeys.
So what is it about? Honestly, I’m not sure. It could be about my anal retentiveness in not deleting any photo until I see it on a big screen. It could be about taking a second look at something that seems to be trash before throwing it out. No, it’s really just an excuse to share one of my favourite photos that I’ve taken. And it’s something that a lot of people might have deleted right away.
Why? It wasn’t a photo I meant to take. I was on a trip to Greece (which I wrote about in What does green smell like?). This was the last leg, on Santorini, an island I’ve dreamed of going to but wasn’t actually the highlight of my trip (although it was beautiful). I took the photo as one of the donkey trains that carry luggage and tourists up from the ferry was coming up the road and I was going down (I withhold comment on whether people should be using donkeys for this).
When I saw the preview on the little screen of my camera, my shoulders sagged with disappointment. It wasn’t the picture of a cute donkey’s face I wanted. No, it was a picture of a donkey’s ass. And what a beautiful ass it is — don’t you agree? Maybe it’s just me.
It’s a reminder of the importance of distance and perspective. Of letting things sit and percolate. All important skills in life and writing.
BTW, if you want cute donkey faces, check out the Turtle Valley Donkey Refuge. I want to visit in person someday.