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[…] came across the above picture at Masson’s Blog and wanted to share it here. It’s a remarkably moving image which reminds us of a side of […]
Masson's Blog
[…] came across the above picture at Masson’s Blog and wanted to share it here. It’s a remarkably moving image which reminds us of a side of […]
Do you feelings about the picture change if you perceive the uniformed lady as departing vs. arriving?
It’s a wonderful picture, though we might hope that some day Mr. Willis will join in the efforts to return “awesome” to its perfectly useful and etymologically consistent meaning of “inspiring terror, fear, or reverential wonder” as opposed to, like, perpetuating it as this generation’s “Far out!” like.
Definitely. Departing = heartbreaking; Arriving = heartwarming. And I don’t think reverential wonder is too far off for this one.
I love this picture, and my love for it doesn’t diminish regardless if she is departing or arriving.
You can see the pain in her face. We don’t know if that pain is new or old, and we don’t need to. It tells the story it needs to without a caption, and that is the definition of a great, newsworthy photo.
That being said, I’m pretty sure it is her returning. The goodbyes seem to be said on-base, the hellos are often in an airport from the photos I have seen.
If that photo doesn’t “tug at your heart-strings” you have no soul.
We all looked and were moved. But did the guy behind her even break stride?
This has seemed to be one of those wars (Afghanistan or Iraq, either one) where life has gone on despite it to the point where probably a lot of people don’t give it much thought. We’ve grown pretty accustomed to seeing uniformed soldiers in our airports, arriving or departing in large numbers.
Maybe the ?business traveler behind her glanced and was moved. More likely, he’s seen it before and it was just another day to him.
I believe (hope) this is her return. I don’t want to witness the pain of someone leaving, because those are private moments. The guy in the background? Perhaps he realizes he is observing a private moment and allows them their experience without disturbance by a stranger. Wouldn’t it be rude to stand and gawk? And she doesn’t need to hear a stranger say thank you when she wants to hear her kid say I love you Mommy. Although the community should be saying thank you to all the families that have sacrificed. Just in an appropriate place/time.
The spectrum of observation isn’t limited to only to either complete ignorance, or gawking and interrupting.
From an artistic standpoint, I like the figure in the background; it helps define this as a private moment.