A master photographer will never think twice about taking a daring risk in order to capture the perfect image on film. Whether it be crouching behind the shell of a bombed-out vehicle in the middle of a war zone or perched precariously on the face of a mountain thousands of feet above a rocky ravine, a photographic artist will stop at nothing to obtain that one consummate shot that will make all of the hardship worthwhile.

Now, despite camera skills that can barely be called rudimentary at best and the “artistic eye” of a one-eyed palsied cripple with glaucoma, there are occasionally times when I, myself, am struck with an overwhelming inspiration that propels me into perilous circumstances in seek of a photograph — which more than often turns out to be wholly unimpressive in the end.

Thus was the case this past Saturday when Judy and I passed through Yoyogi Station on our way to pay a visit to her brother in northwestern Tokyo. While waiting for the train, I was seized with inspiration and quickly retrieved my camera from my side bag. Positioning myself on the edge of the platform, I attempted to take one of those pretentious pseudo-artistic photographs whose final result is not praise, but rather nothing more than ridicule for the photographer, all the while with my darling fiancée off to the side muttering, “You’d better not fall onto the tracks.”

Wow, unimaginative and uninspiring — perhaps I ought not quit my day job just yet.