In December we celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and the Feast of our Lady of Guadalupe, among many occasions.
Each is its own story of miracle, chance, and belief, moments which guide us through life’s challenges and opportunities.
My late cousin Jack ascribed to this saying: Opportunity is inconvenience rightly understood, and inconvenience is opportunity wrongly understood.
With days bereft of sunshine, when tensions run high under pressures to buy gifts, cook foods or gather properly, I remember the day August 1, 1999 when I first met Lisbon’s iconic Bill Young.
It began with a story of derision. My Goddaughter Jessica Sand, a freshman dance major at TCU in Fort Worth, Texas was ribbed by classmates who said “well, what does Iowa dance look like?”
So, Jessica and I set forth to photograph Iowa dance. Our first stop was a cornfield on Scobey Road where we created ghost dancer images emerging from the stalks, a la Field of Dreams.
We then ventured to downtown Lisbon for a more “urban look.” Posing on the center line in front of Gwen’s Restaurant, Jessica’s tutu drew the curious attention of diners. No matter, we accomplished our envisioned photos.
Then life changed!
A rust-bucket pickup pulled up directly behind Jessica, mere feet away. A gruff-looking, limping, bib overall attired man emerged. “How ‘bout you take a picture of my dog and me with the ballerina?” he said.
A moment of decision! Would I be inconvenienced by a stranger who intruded into my professional photo shoot? Or… was this opportunity?
I chose opportunity, saying “sure!” Bill Young plopped his ancient dog Rascal atop the truck’s hood. Using my monorail 4×5 view camera, I obliged Bill’s request and photographed him with Rascal. He loved that dog!
We shook hands and exchanged names. Voila! Bill’s next words were “I got a hog lot, you wanna dance in it?”
Jessica, her mother Marilyn, and I looked at each other in wonder. “Why not?” I thought. What could possibly go wrong? A brilliant white tutu in a hog lot? Think pristine vs. mess. Think opportunity vs. inconvenience.
We drove to Bill’s farm east of Lisbon. Strutting from his truck, he announced to his wife Edna and sister-in-law Velma “I got me a ballerina!”
Proceeding to the hog lot, Bill fed his swine while Jessica danced. Jessica’s favorite image (shown here) has her best form. Bill’s favorite image included his dog Rascal (a photo which accompanied him to his grave).
Bill next joined Edna and Velma where Jessica danced as cats and ducks and Rascal meandered.
Many may remember Billy, who died May 5, 2020, as loveable, and one who spoke like a sailor too long at sea. Bill was a generous, forthright, opinionated man. He welcomed dozens of my students to photograph his textural (and now demolished) farm.
Choosing opportunity over inconvenience, seeing the good person inside instead of a salty-tongued, gruff, unkept farmer made for this miracle.
It’s serendipity at its finest! May such magic greet you all, always!
Bob Campagna is a local photographer and writer. His email is: [email protected].
Bill Young and Jessica: A Story of Serendipity
December 23, 2021
In downtown Lisbon Bill Young placed his dog Rascal atop his pickup truck to be photographed with ballerina Jessica Sand.
