Dream Trip 2009

Great Travel Moment

In the Mysore Market in Mysore, India, I met this gentleman, a former Army soldier. He had been injured at the Pakistani frontier and lost his leg. Our meeting was many years later in the predawn hours of the Mysore market. Myself and a friend had arrived to photograph the stalls as proprietors set up shop for the day. The gentleman and myself began chatting over chai and he asked that I take his picture. He ran one of the stalls and had a firm yet friendly voice. He had no ego about his physical condition nor did the crutch inhibit his movements. No tourist had taken his picture and he was quite disappointed to see that the camera was film and not digital -- when I developed the film the following day, I left several copies of the print for him. I will always remember his smile and happy disposition -- regardless of the past, he greeted each day with a warm smile and joy in his heart.