Authenticity Revisited.....

Or

"How my ego survived intact....."

mostly.

We arrived at the reunion early.....

as I had promised to 

be the impromptu 

"designated photographer".

(Which is funny in a way,

because there was a very good professional photographer

in our crowd, that would have put me to shame)

So.....

I started by shooting a general 

"record the setting" shot,

and was very pleased that the Owner/manager

of the Art Gallery/Co-op 

had all of the lights on 

HIGH!

I have many 

shots from later in the evening,

but I have not asked if it was ok

to use anyone's image,

so....

the only person I felt comfortable with 

a close up shot was 

my sweetie...

checking out the photographs from 

previous reunions...

maybe to see 

one of my ex's

(they don't all live in Texas,

though I wish they did....)

The gallery was the perfect location for this 

35th High School Reunion.

Comfortable, casual, 

relaxed....

it sort of set the tone for the evening.

I had made up my mind that if 

nothing else,

I could control my own attitude.

So....

I was determined to have a smile on my

face 90% of the time spent...

and 

I did just that.

I shot tons of images.

I talked to people I didn't even know in 

high school.

Or, people who I was so intimidated 

by, that I would have never approached, 

previously.

I was bold.

I asked if I could take their picture,

and then just started 

lining them up.....

some balked,

but were coerced by those 

around them.

Who are these old people?

I kept thinking.

Are they sure they are at the correct reunion?

I was stumped.

I didn't stop to eat,

and barely sipped a drink.

I was on a mission....

Well,

actually, shooting people is easier than 

actually making small talk.

I was nervous.

We left by 10 pm.

It was just gearing up to be 

a long night,

and I was tired.

So, 

home to the computer to 

upload the images.....

Good grief!

I looked as old as the rest!

Sweetie had nicely taken a photo of me with

several friends from elementary school.

One of which, I was in 1st grade with.

And do you know what?

Mostly,

everyone was as authentic,

as I could have wished for.

Some not.

But they are the same ones that 

were not in high school.

So be it.

I found that I had quite a few friends....

real friends.

We were actually quite glad to see each other,

and enjoyed catching up on children,

careers, and church (the 3 "C's")

I believe,

that my fun

had more to do with my attitude

than theirs....

Maybe you 

CAN 

wish yourself into a 

Good time!

smiles.....

smiles

I got nothing.......really....

Perhaps it's the heat....

Maybe menopause.....

possibly, PMS......

whatever it is....

I no longer have the ability to think, write,

compose, articulate (although, I haven't stopped talking)

so 

today 

I post 

photos

(oldies but goodies....smiles)

(love those abs!)

And finally my desktop photo...

Have a wonderful day,

and stay cool.....

many thanks to all who have commented on the 

previous post "Authenticity".

I feel I have dear friends here.....smiles.

Authenticity....

That's the word

that I chose 

at the beginning of the year

to concentrate on in 2010.

I am still thinking....

In fact,

it has been brought home to me 

on a regular basis that most 

of the people I seem to interact with

(bloggers excluded)

are far from authentic.

Is it fear?

Is it meanness?

Is it ignorance?

Is it miscommunication?

Really!

I want to know.

I want to understand.

And,

 if I am looking at it 

in a skewed manner,

well, 

I want to know that too....

Really.

Do I perceive the bloggers

I follow as being authentic

because they are?

or are they really good at 

"puttin on the show"?

Is the fear factor eliminated 

because they don't ever have 

to meet face to face?

Or is the internet just 

a place that one can be

 anyone you want to be?

Here is my dilemma.....

I spent some time with a few of my 

old friends recently.

It was weird.

They were fascinated by things that seemed 

so foreign to them, (and me)

and they didn't seem at all like the 

people I once knew.

I know there is room for growing up, but not developing

a whole new personality.

Then there is the situation

where one of my friends

came into a large amount of money.

I have seen very little of her since.

She has not simply excluded me, 

she seems to be avoiding everyone. 

What is that all about?

Now,

I am contemplating going to a 

35 yr reunion (high school)

I want to go,

at least I think I want to......

I was first informed about this 

reunion via the infamous

Facebook.

And the price for the event seemed doable.

So I said YES!

and paid my money.

Now I am watching how people are 

interacting.....

and honestly,

 I am a bit frightened,

bewildered,

confused,

apprehensive,

nervous,

and 

seriously folks,

I don't want to be disillusioned again.

So help me out if you have some experience here.

Do you find people to be authentic?

Do you go to reunions?

Have you been disappointed by 

old friends?

Does the high school clique thingy crop up at your reunions?

Finally,

Do you trust what people present to you,

and is that a vital part of liking them?

What do you think?

Now about that cat....

She must be the reason that the food in

that particular feeder

(we have many)

lasts longer.

She is a neighbors' pet

and loves to hunt by the trees out back.

smiles.

More contest info....

Contest details

This contest runs through 

August, so

don't miss out on

some free prints.

With FREE prints you can;

frame them for your walls

frame them for gifts,

make Thank You! notecards 

make Christmas cards,

make Birthday cards,

any type of card

I will work up a tutorial 

on how I make photo notecards

for my personal use,

and post it sometime this weekend.

You don't have to use the 

photo that you use as an entry into

this contest as the "free" 4 x 6 prints.

You can use 

any and many different 

images.

Which will make your 

cards that much more fun!

smiles.

Summer Freedom

That's the name of a cool contest at Shutterfly.

And simple too....

And you get free stuff just for entering...

you don't even have to win...

you still win.

COOL, huh?!

So...

why don't you 

pick one of those fun photos

of the children,

or the grandchildren,

or your sweet pup,

or your beach trip,

or your garden,

or the skies,

or the fair,

or the 

crazy neighbor who 

cuts the grass in her underwear

(don't ask.....)

You know the photo 

that makes you think of 

Summer Freedom.....

pick it

upload it at Shutterfly

and 

enter for some free prints.

Cool!

You can view my entry here and vote for me starting April1, 2010.

http://contest.shutterfly.com/contests/showentry/317547

smiles

What?

is this?

I thought 

that I knew a few plants.....

apparently I know at least one less than I thought.

Is it a Thistle?

I rarely see Thistles....

and the few times I have...

well, let's just say I keep my distance.

But this plant was in a rose garden that I visited 

recently...

and so I snapped a shot

and thought I would simply look it up in one of 

my gardening books...

nope..

no photo of this to be found....

can you help?

smiles

My Pop....

This is my dad....

when he was a young guy.

He grew up in the coal mining towns of

West Virginia.

His family was fun and provided 

love and support.

He joined the Army,

when he was halfway through 

his college education.

Afterward, he went back to school,

at West Virginia University,

and met my mother.

They married,

and had two wonderful children,

well....at least one wonderful one...smiles...

This is the wonderful one,

with her dad, grandmother and 

her grandfather holding her,

or pinching her, I can't tell which...

This is the one that is probably 

wonderful too...smiles.

It's just that he steals cars and impersonates 

cowboys too....so you never know...

My dad and I used to go to the steeplechase races

and drink champagne

and wear silly sunglasses...

and ties.....

(it was the eighties)

Now we simply marvel at the fact that we 

have lived this long and still love each 

other to pieces.....

Happy Father's Day, Pop!

Love you bunches

smiles...