The Time Lord of Saint Charles

The first time I was introduced to Dr. Who, I have to admit, I was slightly horrified. Chuck and Zack realized that perhaps they could have eased me in to their favorite TV series with a slightly less gruesome and violent episode than the one they did, so my next exposure was a kinder, gentler show featuring Vincent van Gogh and sunflowers. Whew. That was better, and had much more appeal.

For those of you out of the Dr. Who loop, Dr. Who is a British TV show featuring a Time Lord, an extraterrestrial from the planet Gallifrey who explores the universe in a time-traveling space ship called a TARDIS. The TARDIS is much bigger on the inside than on the outside, which is a delightful conundrum, and it appears as a blue British police box, which was a common sight in Britain in 1963 when the series first aired. The good Doctor combats different foes in an effort to save individuals and entire civilizations. 

Chuck and Z can have in-depth discussions about the various doctors, and know which one starred in which season. I'm rather new to the Dr. Who fandom, and had to rely on Wikipedia for some of the information I just shared with you. (Thank you, Wikipedia.)

There are times throughout the year I feel like I am married to my own Dr. Who. Chuck is a kind-hearted human being from the planet earth who explores our world in a time-traveling machine called a HIGHLANDER. 

The HIGHLANDER looks much like a car, but it is so much more than that. The high-tech vehicle allows us to travel to different periods of history, and visit other civilizations. Just this year, we were whisked away to Occupied France in 1944 and rode a train with Nazi soldiers and French citizens. Vive la resistance! 

Thanks to our trusty HIGHLANDER, we have witnessed African and Chinese dancers and musicians perform for crowds, sharing their cultural traditions, and creating awareness and appreciation of the cultural diversity in America.

Photo Credit: Taylor Katz

Once we even found ourselves aboard the Titanic, photographing what would be the final evening for that great seagoing vessel, and we went down with the ship. 

Most weekends find us far away from Illinois, across the Atlantic Ocean in the English port city of Bristol in 1574 A.D. where we have come to love the good people of the Renaissance period. Our HIGHLANDER is a miracle of transportation; 'tis true.

My good Doctor Chuck may not have to fight off evil time lords, but he does have to fight the foes of precipitation and extreme temperatures in an effort to photograph individuals, and preserve memories for generations to come. I'm so grateful he has selected me to be his trusty sidekick in all of these adventures in the universe.