Camera Dillema

What kind of camera do you have? Is it a small, portable, convenient one? Or is it a grand SLR that has more features than you'll ever know what to do with (or maybe you DO know how to use it...teach me, please!!!)? Or do you have both? I have friends that have both. I never really saw the need for both, so I got a fancy shmancy Digital SLR that will do it all since the cheap ole thing I had at the time was not reliable and had poor pix quality (I'm still learning how to use it after almost 2 years...truth be told, it stays in auto or auto-no flash most of the time). The thing I dislike about it (and what people warned me about) is it's not easy to carry around. That and it doesn't stow very well, so I don't have easy access to it even at home. Recent events (including the two last months where we went to the archery shop for the first time without a camera and then to sell Girl Scout cookies WITH the camera, but I never used it) have me thinking twice about my purchase decision.

I volunteered at Erica's field trip yesterday and was the only parent without a camera...OK, that's an exaggeration, but not by much. They are learning about eggs in her Kindergarten class and Target sponsored a trip for them to the Imaginarium to get some hands on learning...complete with getting to hold a 5-day old baby chick. They were sooooo excited. And I missed being able document it with pictures (hrumph!!!). I've asked her teacher if she wouldn't mind sharing some pix with me...

Then, to pour salt into the wound, Erica had the perfect moment of reflection last night and I consciously didn't get the camera out for it (I'm really kicking myself in the rear about this because I thought about getting it and then decided not to!!!). Poor thing...she was totally distraught about not having a friend to play with. Easter Sunday she played nearly ALL day with her friend next door: they rode bikes, played babies, watched a movie, and played dress up. Erica was very sad when it ended. Monday, we got home from work a little late, but she still went out and rode her bike. She asked if she could go ask for Jenna to come out and play and we said OK...but Jenna couldn't because of dinner. Erica came home and plopped her sad little body on the front lawn and just sat there. In a way, it was the cutest thing I'd seen her do in a while. We had no clue was was going on at first...her shoulders were not shaking from weeping, so it didn't LOOK like she was sad. I opened the door and asked her why she was sitting on the grass (wet, since the snow is melting). She then broke down in tears and whimpered at me: I have nobody to play with!!! Oh, the trauma...and if I had only gotten a picture of it, it would've tied the whole story together. But I'm sure I'll end up with a picture that will adequately allow me to use this story one of these days.

I feel a small digital purchase in my future that will allow me the ease of having a camera where ever I am and allow me to take pix whenever the I have the urge. The question is: Even if I have it in my purse for easy access any where and any time, will I remember to pull it out to get that perfect picture? Or will it stay tucked away and rarely get used?