Church Encounter

It's always a good thing to take along your camera where ever you go, even on your way to work.

On a recent trip to Leonardtown Campus, I had my handy and portable Canon PowerShot riding shotgun with me. Always looking for a good photo opportunities, I noticed the Christ Church steeple just off Buds Creek Road, Route 234in Chaptico. I decided to stop and take some photos. It was a beautiful morning with some stratus clouds beginning to appear against the blue sky. The church is an older structure with red brick siding with a white roof and steeple. The grounds were littered with old grave stones bounded by a rusty steel black picked fence.

I parked the car, and with the engine still running, jumped out into the cold wind to snap a "few" photos. Not feeling real adventurous because of the cold, I composed a couple shots, then decided to run back into the warmth of the car. That's when I made the discovery I accidentally locked myself out. The reality hit real quick, what do I do? The car was still running, didn't have a phone and there was no one around. Next, came the realization I would have to walk to the nearest phone, which was at the intersection down the road. I walked down the road about 1/4 mile to a General Store and called 911 St. Mary's County Police. The dispatcher assured me they would send a unit to unlock the door. I went back to the church and waited. All I had was my camera, so I started snapping more photos.

After about an hour of patiently waiting no one came. So I walked back to the store and called 911 again. The 911 operator said they had some higher priority emergencies they were attending too and they they would answer the "lock out" call as soon as they could. I told them I would wait in the store where it was warmer and I could grab a cup of warm coffee. After about a 1/2 hour a unit arrived and took me back to the church. The police officer was able to quickly open the door because the door was not shut all the way. The officer was proud of his home made door opener. I was just glad to see the door open. I thanked the officer, and parted. After a 3 hour commute I finally made it to the college.

This experience taught me a lesson. Always carry your camera...and your car keys!