A Developing Friendship
Oh, writer’s block.
It happens often when you tend to write consistently. It struck me during the summer of 2025. And during that time, I spent hours staring at a blank screen, unable to piece a sentence together.
What to do?
Something out of the ordinary, at least for me. I signed up for a flash fiction competition and submitted an epistolary story. This, of course, got me thinking of what more I could come up with, so this is going to be the first part of a series of short stories based on my photographic series ‘Those Who Dwell Within.’
Here we go!
— AHN
Dear Sir/Madam,
I write to you with no expectation of a response, instead with a hope that what I tell you will bring you a moment of joy. Your contact details were found attached to the bottom of a camera box along with an undeveloped roll of film (which I took the liberty of developing).
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It was quite a surprise to find a local address-I should mention how new to this place I am, and this camera was my first purchase in the local charity shop-and that initial suprise transformed into excitement as I developed the roll of film into a contact sheet which revealed your snapshots taken around town; I recognised several of the locations from looking out the window as the train pulled into the stations weeks ago.
So, what was I to do with this new information? Visit the places you deemed worthy of photographing, of course. I set off on a sunny day, well, as sunny as possible when living in a seaside town (such temperamental weather here), with the camera, loaded a roll of 24 exposure, 35mm colour film, around my neck, and began to retrace your steps.
With both palms on the sides of the camera, index finger at the ready, and one eye on the viewfinder, I strove to capture everything I could (which you did) within frame; the light reflecting what my eyes saw inside the camera’s angled mirror, turning what was upside down rightside up with every mechanical ‘click-click.’
As you once did, I photographed: the clock tower at the train station, the Ferris wheel (closed for repairs) at the pier, the Grand hotel and bar (empty), the village green, the medieval churchyard, and the town centre, filled with strangers passing by with their smiling faces. I’m certain you remember those places well; however, for me, they were brand new. And that sense of novelty found in new places filled me with wonder and loneliness; there is comfort behind the lens, when I felt as if I was a part of the moment, not just the quiet, unnoticed observer that I am — these feelings of discomfort will pass in time; the sooner they pass, the better one will feel here, but as with most things in life, running away is never a workable option-I know…after so many attempts over the years.
But let me back up a moment.
All in all, it was a day spent with two new companions. After all, what is friendship if not a shared experience of ordinary things; those intertwined moments of life, past and present, flowing through the rivers of time. These were our moments, our memories, and as such, I find you to be my friend. I have enclosed my undeveloped roll of film (please feel free to develop), just in case our paths never cross.
Sincerely yours,
An unknown friend
P.S. If the moment ever arrives, please write back and share any changes you’ve noticed while walking around town.
Originally published at https://alfonsoneal.substack.com (Subscribe for more)
