Pops

My father does not enjoy having his picture taken.

In that one fleeting moment of having a camera pointed his way, he forgets what to do with his face.

Where should his eyebrows go? Should they form a straight line, should one be up and one down? Which one should be up? Should they be all akimbo? Should he furrow his brow? Which corner of his mouth should he lift? And how crinkly around the eyes is too crinkly?

I had a camera out at Mildred's birthday party, poor soul.

I thought I'd killed him with my strange whirring contraption.

But, happily for me (and Mildred's peace of mind as we celebrated her birth), he revived.