Photo Shoot...(Without the pics)

In my years in the MS classroom there were students that I formed some sort of attachment with.  Not in a weird way, but in some beyond-academia-way, we just had a bond.
One of these students, CG, is now a senior in high school. (Wow, where did the time go?)  And of course, being a senior calls for "senior pictures."  Because I am a good friend of the gal who takes a lot of the pics, I found out the C G wasn't going to have his taken.  There was no money in his family's budget for this.  On learning this, I decided to negotiate with Photog for the "sitting fee" so C G could have senior pics.  Photog was very agreeable to this so we began scheduling a shoot.  We had to postpone twice due to rain (outdoor shots, you know are very popular) and CG's bad cold!  Yesterday the shoot took place and because CG found out that I was footing the cost, he insisted that I be there.  What a privilege that was.  And fun.  He is a quirky kid, has a goofy smile and a quick, smart sense of humor.  He is running neck-and-neck  with two other students for top places in his class.  He has been accepted at multiple colleges and universities, where he will attend on "21st Century Scholar" scholarships, and plans to study engineering and physics!  Talk about smart.
But, I digress!  The photo shoot was so much fun.  He had no idea what Photog was going to ask of him, but he went along willingly and was very agreeable to any and all suggestions.  We trekked all over town, down back allies, and to our city's wooded garden park.  Lots of pics were taken, and looking over Photog's shoulder into the viewfinder, I don't think there was a bad one.  I carried the equipment bag, CG's backpack and his oboe, which he brought along as a prop, and also played for us. (He's good at that, too.)
The best part was the "text" message I received later on in the evening thanking me for making this possible and telling me what a good time he had.  It made walking all over town, down dark allies, along the river and through the wood, all worth while.

Peace,
JE