Mother and Journalist

In my college Journalism classes I learned that the journalist or photographer was never to interfere with a story. In my Communications Ethics class we discussed the idea that even if a life could be saved by a photographer, the photographer's responsibility was to capture the incident on film instead of becoming part of the story. (Because apparently the American public would much rather see a picture of a dying person than read a story about how a journalist saved a life.) I knew I'd always choose to help a person rather than get promoted in my job. But then...

Well, today I found myself in that situation. I snapped this first photo thinking I'd post something about my crazy kid (the one in the white shorts).


I snapped the second not zoomed in so everyone could get the full effect of my crazy child and a friend straddling the top of our playset.


And then suddenly my own child falls and is hanging on for dear life. And first, I snap a picture.


(He was fine... I knew he could hold on long enough for me to get outside... He climbed back up himself before I could even ask if he needed help... He was laughing the whole time...)