Fidelity

All right boys and girls, the word for the day is 'fidelity'. Can everyone say it with me? I think I was first introduced to this word (actually a variant of this word) by a Dashboard Confessional song. I think the lines went, "Your hair is everywhere, screaming infidelities..." I didn't know what it meant at the time, but I think it was a little telling that I heard the negative form of the word before I had heard the more positive, and in my opinion, rarer form.

For those of you who don't know, the word actually comes from the latin word meaning 'faithful'. In its antiquated form, it is used in the popular Marine phrase,'Semper Fi' or 'Semper Fidelis' meaning 'Always Faithful.' But today I want to get to the meaning of this word as it pertains to relationships.

Whenever I am out and about, I love watching others. I guess some would call me a people watcher. My absolute favorite thing to see as I watch others is couples holding hands. I am not talking about the young teenagers holding hands because they think that is the next step in their relationship. I enjoy the scene of two people who are holding hands because that is what they really want to be doing at that moment; as if that is the thing that is paramount on their list of priorities. And it puts it over the top for me when I see two elderly people, walking at their own pace, holding hands and enjoying each others company. Because I know that they have stuck together over time and this outward expression of their affection is something that has stood firm.

Saying this brings me to the image below. I was on vacation with my wife's family in Gatlinburg, TN and we decided to walk up to Clingman's Dome. As we walked up, my wife and I were ahead of the rest of the family and I looked back to see my in-laws holding hands. It hit me the rarity of the scene and what made it more special, was, having caught a glimpse into their lives over the past several years, I knew that it was real and time-tested. An expression of their fidelity.

Nikkor, 200mm, f/2.8, Clingman's Dome, TN