On a message board I frequent there is an ongoing photo “contest”. Each week there is a different subject for participants to post photos they took that illustrate the subject – such as “landscapes”. Got it? Okay! So this week the subject is “Prized Possessions” and just as I suspected the first posting was a pic of a pet dog. I’m sure there will be other pet pictures and who knows – maybe husbands, wives, grandchildren.

I have posted pics in the past but I won’t be posting anything to this category – Why? you ask. Well I’m sure some folks will think I would post pics of my cats except they are not possessions. They are sentient beings and as such can not be a possession. People, living things with brains and souls CANNOT be possessions. And quite frankly I find it offensive that people think they can OWN a living creature, of any kind.

Then of course there are material objects – but you know what – material objects are highly dispensable and replaceable. There are often objects of sentimental value but their value is not in and of themselves but rather what they represent, the memories, feelings and emotions they evoke . These are not things one can photograph.

So “prized possessions” – what exactly does that mean? What I prize is impalpable – my intelligence, my sense of humor. My being able to love and be loved in return – so many intangibles – all prized possessions because I truly do possess them and all unphotographable!