May 29th

Another day, another layer of floor wax. Honestly, you’d think South Ranchito Elementary would be spotless by now. But kids are…kids. And teachers? Well, they’re a different kind of messy.

I brought my new camera today. A Canon 6D. It was a good deal on Marketplace. Not one of those fancy mirrorless things. Give me a solid DSLR any day. Abuelita always said, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” and honestly, that applies to cameras too. I was hoping to snag some decent shots of the school garden – the roses are actually doing pretty well this year.

Ms. Davison, the third-grade teacher, cornered me by the water fountain during my break. She was going on about wanting a new camera for the summer. Said she wanted to get into bird photography. I, naturally, started talking about my 6D. Twenty-point-two megapixels, rugged build, the whole deal. I even started explaining the benefits of a proper optical viewfinder.

She was very enthusiastic. Kept nodding and saying things like, “Oh, that sounds lovely!” I figured she was just being polite, but I spent a solid ten minutes detailing the difference between a pentaprism and a pentamirror. I even offered to show her how to adjust the ISO.

Then she said, "Perfect! I just ordered the Canon EOS R6. My nephew is a tech wiz and said it's the way to go."

The EOS R6? A mirrorless camera? After my detailed explanation of the virtues of a DSLR? It was like talking to a wall. I managed a, “Oh. Good for you,” before excusing myself to go empty the trash.

Honestly, the disrespect. People will listen to a tech-savvy nephew before a man who understands aperture priority? It’s a sad world.

Later, I found a half-eaten bag of churros behind the art room. Probably left by little Timmy Hernandez. I should probably tell the office, but… churros.

It’s just one of those days. A little awkward, a little confusing. But hey, tomorrow I get to mop the gym. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll bring my camera again. Even if no one appreciates a good DSLR anymore. I'll grab a quick stop at Tacos El Rey on the way home. That always helps.