When I began to get serious about photography, I bought a Canon Mark III, which was a big deal then. I used it for a long time until I got the bug to trade it and all my other cameras and lenses in for my first Leica camera, a small but powerful monochrome.

When the Canon broke down for good, I didn’t have the heart to throw it out. It was too broken to repair, so I put it on a table in my office where I could see it. It took a long time, a lot of scraping and trading patience, to get the Leica (which retails for about five times, and even more so when I got the SLR windowless camera. This enabled me to move forward after a year or two of lessons and experimenting.  But it wasn’t easy, requiring a new focus and attention.

I’m mindful of not making this loss a tragedy, given that many Americans have experienced genuine tragedy all year, their lives and homes shattered to pieces. But my relationship with this camera was intimate and powerful, and I lost a piece of my heart to see it broken and lying in a pool of ice and snow.

Leica cameras were a whole new experience, another level, a new reality. I was inspired to learn how they work. It’s no longer point-and-shoot; I have to work for every photo. They are way ahead of my pay grade, but anything is possible if you work hard. And I did.

This will take a bite out of my bank account, but an insurance policy I took out will make it easier but still costly. It’s worth every penny.

The experience transformed me as a photographer and perhaps a human. Learning the Leica was something I am proud of, with my Dyslexia was one of the most challenging things I’ve had to learn.  It gave me a lot of beautiful pictures, one new level after another.

Sawyer, Donald, and Brian at the Leica store have been incredibly patient and kind to me. They helped me through 100 days of panic and confusion, and they are helping me to fix the settings for me again, so I don’t need to call them another 100 times. I am very grateful to them. After some false alarms, they found the right camera for me, a setting up today, and hopefully, I’ll get it tomorrow. They are dedicated to their work in a way few corporations still do.

I’ve shown Maria everything I’ve taken from the first. Without her, I would have given up almost instantly. I must be okay if many good people are eager to help me.

I hate to let this camera go, and it can’t be repaired, sold, or donated, but I am not yet ready to throw it into the garbage. Leica’s are way out of my savings zone, and I’ve learned to browse, save, trade, and wait for another one. I’ve been working with the excellent Boston Leica store staff, who have guided and assisted me in the search. They have an older used SLR Mirrorless in stock, and with insurance and sone lens trading, it’s on the way.

It could have a home on the table with the Canon for a while. Now, the journey continues.  This inspires me to learn more and do better. I see it as yet another chance to grow.