After an initial inquiry, someone sent me this link to Jamm Factory. I was fascinated. Especially by Alfie. Some of the photos were so exuberant that the children seemed to jump off the page. Others seemed less inspired. Most of the boys posed singularly, while most of the girls opted to pose with friends. I felt sad that most of the girls didn't seem to convey anything about themselves other than that they had a friend to pose with. Perhaps the one that most drew my attention was the one girl who posed alone, walking down a flight of outdoor stairs.
What would I have been photographed doing, if I were to try to represent myself in a snapshot during elementary school? In Kindergarden I would have been playing cowboys and Indians with Blonde Cowboy. For first grade, I would have posed playing the piano. In third grade, Moira and I would have been roller skating at Skate Plus. Forth grade playing the recorder. Fifth swinging on the rings on the playground. Sixth grade surrounded by piles and piles of books.
As it was, I generally forgot about picture day until I arrived at school that morning. Probably wearing a t-shirt with a glittery decal on it and those courderoy pants I couldn't stand, but which never wore out.
Mental snapshots of elementary school: running around with Blonde Cowboy, my one asian friend MiC in a sea of whiteness, sleepovers at Moira's, summer reading programs at the library, getting busted for doing handstands by Mrs. Gallindo, flutaphone and recorder lessons with Mr. Federgreen, wonderful Mrs. Knechtli, calligraphy, AW, my caramel popcorn business in 6th grade, advanced math with Mr. England, and the Group of 10 (me, Nice Nisha, Brat, Brat II, Meg, Fro-boy, Guitar Dave, Outcast, KP, and Unknown (because I can't for the life of me remember who he was).
No comments:
Post a Comment