The Carousel.

"This device isn't a spaceship; it's a time machine. It goes backwards and forwards. It takes us to a place where we ache to go again. It's not called the wheel. It's called the carousel. It lets us travel the way a child travels, around and back home again to a place where we know we are loved.

- Don Draper, Mad Men

If you ever watch the show Mad Men, one of the very best episodes involved the lead character, Don Draper, presenting a campaign to the Kodak client. It was when the company, Kodak, was in the process of introducing what they called the “wheel.” You are probably familiar with the product---it was a circular device that sat on top of a projector and you used it to give slide shows for business or family. (If you could afford one that is.)

So what does this have to do with the last day of “Snap. Shot?”

For the past 12 months I feel like I have travelled by time machine to my past, my future and to life at the very moment I was writing “Snap.Shot.” I think many of us all have a desire to look in the rear view mirror and “go back home again,” but we also know you can never go back; you can visit, but often your room is occupied with boxes or someone else who has taken it over. However, there is one thing about going back home---no matter how tough of a year, month, week or day you have had, it’s a place “where we know we are loved.” For the many years I have lived away from Chesterfield, MO, I have always known there was love, and a bed waiting for me, any time I needed it.

When I started “Snap. Shot,” never in my wildest dreams did I think it would continue beyond a few days. Like life, things get in the way; yes I was late a few days over the past year, but I made up for missing a day. It was on those days when I believe I best captured my feelings, because I felt like I was letting readers and myself down; I was really focused on writing something extra special because it was on the forefront of my mind. Wow, who would ever have thought? Not me.

The photo above was taken at a local park a couple of weeks ago. I love this photo---it reminds me of life as I knew it when I was the age of these children; it was summer, life was carefree, and when I went home, I knew this would be a place where one day ,“I would ache to go again.” I had no idea how true this feeling would end up being.

I am getting off the ride for a few months. My ticket has expired, but I will be back; I will let you know should you want to start reading again. I don’t know what form or topic I will write about---but I do thank you for letting me know you were reading. "Snap. Shot" became a very personal part of my life.

Before I go, I would like to say thank you to my Sister for being a constant reader; my brother for printing out copies for my Dad; my Dad for being interested in reading “Snap. Shot.,” but never fully understanding how to find the site and why I wrote it; and my kids for being there to ask, “Are you writing your blog again?” But most of all I would like to thank the two women in my life who have guided me through life’s journey ---my Mother, who I miss every day and my wife Susan who is truly the love of my life.

Thanks for stopping by.