JPG Magazine: Stories: Photo Essay: Sam waits

Sam waits

By Penny Nannini

7 July 2008

Last year while driving around looking for something to shoot, I stumbled upon a Pawn Shop that had one of those really big pink elephants out front. I've always been fond of those giant creatures that people put in their parking lots for advertisement, just because it's such a curious thing to me. I can't help but wonder what the thought process is to it. Why does a lottery store have a huge cow with sunglasses, why does an RV dealer have an enormous Cowboy guarding the door, why is their a gorilla by the ice machine at a grocery store??? So anyway, I decide to turn in a get a shot of the pink elephant, but once I got out of the car, I spot Uncle Sam laying out back in the weeds. Hum, I thought... that's odd, it's the forth of July, this Pawn Shop is on a road that leads to Ft. Campbell Army Base, and its war time. I stood there for a moment a bit shocked and saddened by this, then I did what any of us would have done...I shot Sam while he was down.

This 4th of July week-end I decided to revisit Uncle Sam. I thought surly he would be standing out front this year. Maybe he was back there last year because he needed to be cleaned or repaired, or maybe the owner had been sick and was unable to do it, there could be lots of reasons... right? As I got close I realized I was holding my breath in anticipation. I rounded the bend, and in the distance I could just make out the form...it was the damn pink elephant!!! Grumbling to myself, I got out of the car and started taking a few new pictures of him. As I walked around looking for different angles, I continued to wonder why he was still here. Did the pawn shop owner just not care? Then, I was struck with this thought: Maybe it was his political statement. Maybe he's waiting for change. Maybe he is waiting for the big pink elephant to vacate the white house so that he can put him to rest out back and move Sam to the front where he can stand proud again.