Sep 13, 2004 19:57
I just spent twenty or thirty minutes sifting through my photobox that I brought from home. Nostalgia is a bitch, but helpful concerning essays. I found pictures of downtown 'fieldtrips' that Gina, Tonya, Cassy, Raven, and I went on. I found pictures of Westchester's courtyard with everyone around the lunch table. I found photos of my sixteenth birthday at the beach. Seventh & eighth grade photos covered the bottom of the box.
Faces, places, events, objects, & expressions... all of that led me to think about where these people are now. It's almost unbelievable how drastically people change, or what extreme events can occur at any point in life to suffocate hopes & dreams of the future. I don't know how to interpret any of it. I don't know what it means. Anything can happen? Take care of yourself? Never settle? Stay on track? Have faith? Be who you are? Enjoy innoncence? Talk? Share? Love? Don't be afraid to feel? Reach out?
I came across a photo of the time Tonya, her mum, & I surprised Gina at school for her sixteenth birthday. I've never seen such a genuine smile. I have a close shot of Marlena's face, & it reminded of how beautiful she is. I've got a photo of Albert holding up a peace sign, staring at the camera, & declaring his youth behind the front row of our Cornerstone selves in the cafeteria. Cassy & Raven look nearly identical towering upon the wall of that 'pond' downtown. Nick, eyes wide open, stares up from his kneeled position on the floor as he opened his locker door. Chad crouched meekly in the corner behind Tonya. Cassy always shyed from the camera.
With these images in mind, it drives me mad to know that we can wander so blindly or stupidly through life; so much could have been done in prevention. We stand too long in the same spot, & we fall behind. We stumble at the wrong time, & can't seem to recover. We jump too high, & the landing breaks us. We dance with the wrong people, & we forget who we were.
Photos capture us as we once were. They can be the moment of truth in our lives, & bring change. They are landmarks. They inspire. They have the unique ability to shatter stability. Photographs.