I am not a vane person. If I were, I would be a flat piece of metal, strip of cloth, etc, set up high to swing with the wind, to show which way the wind is blowing OR I would be in the water showing how the water is flowing.
Also, I am surely not Sir Henry Vane, a Puritan statesman and colonial governor of Mass. in 1636 and 1637. and please, don't call me Shirley...
I AM definitely not a vane.
I'm not a vain person either. I thought maybe I was a little because I am concerned about these odd little crevices that are showing up around my eyes.
Also, when picking out an outfit the first priority is always, "Does this make me look fat?".
Yes, I wear make-up---even before I go to the firehouse and I know it will sweat off after about 5 minutes of training or firefighting.
When I'm not peeling off my fingernails I like to have them painted.
And my hair...well...my hair...we've discussed that before. it is going to do what it wants to and I've learned to accept that and sometimes even love it.
I am also NOT photogenic. NOT ONE BIT. I'm the person with her eyes closed, is chewing, has her head turned at an angle that makes it look like she has 37 chins etc etc etc.
I have one picture of myself that I like. It is the one on this blog and I am wearing my firefighting gear. Even though I am hot and sweaty, make up is LONG gone, It was the middle of the night, it was really hot, and I had major helmet head, I LOVE this picture. It was taken after a huge 2 story house fire in one of our nicer subdivisions. When we got there flames were already coming out of the windows. All of the occupants were outside so we didn't have to worry about that, It was expected that the house would be a total loss but we saved half of it including some very old and beautiful antiques and family pictures. So, even though it was a horrible day for the owners....it was a lot better than it could have been.....no one was hurt...."stuff" can be replaced......and we were able to save a lot more than was expected. Oh yeah...it was my first house fire too.
OK, I just got SO far off track. Anyway, the other evening I asked JM (17 year old) to take my picture. That's something I NEVER do. I was getting ready to go to Alberquando's* Christmas concert and was feeling relatively pleased with how I looked. (oh come on, you know, good days and bad days). So he took my picture. UGH. I had him take another....UGH.....I changed the lighting and moved him back....Ugh......he took another...hhhmmm...not bad but my hair was sticking up (more than usual). SO, I had him take another. (of course by now, he has informed me of how insane I am. I just smiled and told him that we were going to do this until I got it right. He took another one and EUREKA!! ok, maybe not EUREKA but Hurray!
For a completely non-photogenic person, this one isn't half bad. And just think, it's only been 6 years since I had one I like.
So, maybe a little bit of vanity is ok. Well, actually it isn't. At least not according to Webster:
VANITY:
1. A thing or act that is vain, futile, idle, or worthless.
2. Being excessively proud of one's self or one's possessions.
3, Self-Conceit.
4. Conceited.
Wait here's another one
5. A small table or ledge with a mirror for use while putting on cosmetics, combing one's hair etc.
6. It can also be a bathroom counter top with a sink in it.
So it looks like it isn't good to be even a little bit vain according to the definitions. Well, I actually never even considered being a bathroom sink but it is something I may ponder on another day.
Bottom Line--Hip Hip Hurray!! We made it to the bottom line. I AM going to wrap this up. The bottom line is that I am going to share the best of the pictures JM took, I'm going to post it and then I'm going to spray some lock-tight on the delete button. It's not vanity. It's pleasantly pleased!
P.S. As I was just re-reading this, I was thinking how hard it would be to leave a comment. After all, if you are polite, just about the only thing you could say is something like "Nice picture", "Yes, you are the most beautiful woman in the world", or the ever-loving, always works to fall back on "Nice Post". Just letting you know, I'm not looking for compliments. SO...A great comment would be something like "Wow! Good Job on the house fire!" or "Nice typing...very few typos!", oh yeah, and there's always...."Nice Post!!"!
30 comments:
The photo is really nice and ues you are beautiful. I am not photogenic at all and I don't like to have my picture taken. I always look tired or drunk, which I rarely have a drink. Now days there is nothing good about the way I look. Your posts are indeed very interesting and sometimes they confuse me, which is easily done. Your funny really, you have that gift!
Don't worry Marla. They confuse me too!
You are definitely not a bathroom counter top. Really, I promise.
And of course you are good looking - it's in the genes! Was that vain?
it is a really nice pictures and i'm not photogenic either so your not the only one. :)
Awwww... Nice post!
Just kidding! I have a few things to say to you, so for my sake of not getting confused and off topic, I have to number. K, here goes
1. You may not be a bathroom sink, but with the "relationship" you and the bathroom drain have, you may be able to pass yourself off as a tub.
2. I was going to say, "You clean up nicely" because your profile pic is the only one I've seen, but then you had to go tell your fire story, and suddenly, I really liked your profile pic. I thought, "wow, a hero", and pictures of heroes are beautiful. Truly!
3. This was an in-depth post. At first, I was confused because they are usually confusing, but then I was confused because it wasn't confusing, and I actually learned more about you which was really confusing because you usually let on so little of "who you are". So, at the risk of being confused at being confused, I really enjoyed this post. It was a great post! :)
4. What was my point to numbering again??? Ok, I had to re-read what I wrote 'cause I had no clue.
5. My sister is totally 100% photogenic, even with a mouthful of food showing, she's gorgeous. Me...ha...I have results similar to what you described. "Take 1...take 2...take 100...nevermind, just forget it." So, yes, when a good picture shows up, I feel I have to show it off. I don't think that is bad, is it? Well, if it is, well...then...well...you did it first.
6. Almost forgot what # I was on. I wonder how much I can write before it will tell me to quit commenting. Hey, I could write a blog post on your blog comments. How cool would that be? And you could blog on my comments and so forth. We could get like 12 blogs in one blog comment section. Whoa! Now I totally lost my thought...oh yes, You really are beautiful!!!!!
7. And finally...
8. Nice post!
Oh yeah, and maybe I did write my blog post yesterday just for you...You never know
Bram just wants to know when you will be singing again.
Welcome to my treatise on your post:
Your post is actually emotionally multi-layered, which should not surprise you, really.
I think the little things we all go through about looking for new wrinkles or wondering if an outfit is fattening is normal. I think not liking our own photo is normal. And seriously, even the models on covers are not who they appear to be. It's all smoke and mirrors. And even they don't like themselves on the airbrushed covers!
However, I think when a person is so consumed by bad photos that he/she will not be in any photo ever no matter the holiday or who's taking the photo or what reason, etc. is going too far. I think when people gasp and hide from cameras at holidays or become irritable about having their picture taken it shows they are overly self-focused.
As I tell my kids, you only think other people care how you look. They look at you for like, two seconds, and then they're back to thinking about THEMSELVES. Because that's what we do. We are self-focused people.
So no one seriously cares what your picture looks like as far as if you're esthetically pleasing, unless it's Hugh Hefner, and who cares about him? What would we rate him on a handsome/hunk scale at this point in his life?
People care about having something of YOU. They want to remember the Christmas when YOU were at their house, for example. They want to remember the look of surprise on your face when you opened a certain package from them, or how you look when you're howling at something funny.
THEY OCCASIONALLY LIKE TO SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, which, may I add, I'm so glad you jumped all the way in on this time. It was GREAT!
So I think you should be proud of your pic because you are really nice looking. There are women who would kill to look like you; do you realize that? And what if they read how unhappy you are with yourself and say to themselves, "Gee, if she thinks she's bad, what would she (and everyone else) think about me?" See how we perpetuate that in each other?
You are not any more vane than the rest of us self-focused people. And I think it shows that a lot as you talk about your favorite fire fighting pic. You're more about the moment than the look, right? Maybe you could start trying to see all of your pics that way: "It's not so much about me; it's about the moment!"
You have not written this post in vain.
You are indeed lovely. With or without make-up put on at the vanity. And I love Lid's comment above mine.
2nd cup of coffee-
I love your post and your encouragement for ADHDme. How very true about the "moment vs. the look". I love that, and helped me to look at some of my pictures differently. Thanks.
I love this and I love your photo! You look great! And I'm not just saying it cause I'm your friend. Would I lie??? :)
I really do understand what you mean about not being photogenic. I'm with you, always the one with eyes half closed or some dorkey look on my face. I once was visiting my cousin and her husband wanted to take a picture of the two of us and I told him I took terrible pictures and he didn't believe me so he took the picture, looked at it, took it again, looked at it, took it again, looked at it and said maybe you're right. UGH!
It's not vain at all to want a good one to turn up more frequently than once every 6 years. Every one wants their pictures to turn out good.
I'm so glad you made JM keep trying! I use the tripod, it doesn't have an opinion. LOL!
Oh, I forgot to say (I always forget to say something) "Wow" to your firefighter story. I am really impressed with you wanting to do that. I just can't imagine it. Beauty really does reveal itself from the inside out.
I love that you're sharing things about your self!
I once heard, "vanity vanity all is vanity." ;)
But your photo.. is awesome.. can I copy it for my bloggy book?!! Pretty please?!!
~ I don't like hardly any of my pictures either but I figure, "I yam what I yam." ~
Have ya ever noticed when someone has taken a group photo and then passes it around; who does everyone look for?* haa!
NICE POST !!!!!!!!!!!
YOU ARE BEEEEAUTIFUL! NOjoke there!
And GREAT FIRE FIGHTIN! I am truly impressed that you do that. You have ALOT A GUTS! I love hearin stories about it!!!
Later gater
"emotionally multi-layered" - the politically correct term for neurotic. LOL! Just joking!
Another interesting post with comments that are fascinating too. It's a great photo and I think you are healthier than you realize. And prettier too. We like ya alot. So there.
Hey everyone! No fair seeing inside me!!
When I lost a lot of weight about 1 1/2 years ago, Chatty kelly was one of the few people who never commented on it. Finally I said "HEY! I've lost (at the time) about 35 pounds! Don't you notice!!". Well, after I pointed it out to her, she did. She then told me that she sees me for me and didn't notice that I had gained the weigh in the first place. So I learned something that day. (she has an annoying tendency of teaching me things like that!)
Afterwards, I did notice that the people that went on and on about how heavy or thin I had gotten, weren't usually the people that mattered or really cared about Me.
HOWEVER, the bottom line is "I am not a bathroom counter top"! :)
(however, the verdict is still out on whether or not I am a kitchen sink).
Oh, I am SO NOT photogenic, too!! I've done that before... think I look fairly nice, have someone take a picture, only to look at it think, "oh, dear, I guess I just thought I was looking good". I definitely inherit my unphotogenicability (look THAT up in Websters!)from my mother. I don't think we have but a handful of pictures where she doesn't look stoned drunk or something! When we have had pictures taken together, there's me on one side with my eyes crossed and mouth open, talking - my mother on one side eyes closed and silly grin -
and my sister in the middle just looking picture perfect!
But with all that said, it really was a nice post and you do look very nice in the picture.
I think you are everything but the kitchen sink.
We like you, we really like you!
18 comments, not shabby in one day! It took me 3 days to get 25. See what happens when you write about something that could possibly have meaning?
I can't wait to see what Greg says. I'll bet it's "Nice Post." He is too smart to enter into this conversation!
I think CK forgot you got 44 comments for two small pictures and no words. No one else in the blogosphere could do that but you. See how much we "really like you!"
Have to agree. We really, really, really like you. All you have to do is show up and we like you. What's your secret??? Do you have a blog comment magnet on here where it just draws people in and nudges them to comment?...Nah, I think we just like you. You are the perfect example of what can happen when you just be yourself. People like you. Well, I know a couple people who are just theirselves, and they're not especially likable, so I don't know what it is, except that we just really like you. Yep, that's it, we just really, really, like you. hmmm...maybe it's just that really likable people congregate together...yep, that's it. well...maybe we just all really like you.
I used to like having my picture taken but that was 50 lbs ago and now I need a wide angle lense. I think that is a lovely photo.
I really was just expecting a few "Nice Post" comments.
And maybe a few remarks regarding Sir Henry Vane....I believe he was my great great great uncle twice removed by marriage.
He's from the side of the family we don't talk about much. He was a bit eccentric and tended to ramble... sigh. There's always one in every family.
You probably think this comment's about you....
It's a lovely photo that shows another side of you, and you'll treasure this one because JM took it, too.
If a picture paints a thousand words, then why can't I paint you? Stuck in a 70s music vane this morning....Monday, Monday.....
VANE, Sir Henry, governor of Massachusetts, born in Hadlow, Kent, England, in 1612; died in London, 14 June, 1662. He was the son of Sir Henry Vane, comptroller of the household of Charles I., and was educated at Westminster school and Oxford. Through his father's influence he early entered the diplomatic service and visited Vienna, in 1631, with the English ambassador. He led to his taking an active part in...the colony of Massachusetts. He was admitted to membership in the church of Boston...with a view to healing some distractions in the commonwealth and "effecting a more firm and friendly uniting of minds." At this meeting Vane declared in favor of a more rigorous administration of government than had thus far been pursued. In May, '1636, notwithstanding his youth, Vane was chosen governor of the colony. According to John Winthrop, "the ships congratulated his election with a volley of shot." It was expedient before all things that the colonists should be united, but Vane had a horror of all forms of bigotry, and he had no sympathy with the attacks of the clergy on Anne Huttchinson, with many of whose opinions he agreed. A strong opposition was organized against him, and he was defeated at the annual election in 1637. But he had gained the affection of the people of Boston, and was at once chosen by them one of their representatives to the general court.
HERE'S YOUR COMMENT ON SIR HENRY VANE. NO PROBLEM, GLAD I COULD HELP
Sue J- It took me a moment....Carly Simon.
God's Girl- I must have been thinking about the OTHER sir Henry Vane....you know....my great great great uncle!
Over 25 comments!! They like you, they really like you.
Oh how fun to read all the comments here.
OH YEAH... EVERYBODY LIKES YA...- can you tell?!!!
I'M SOOOO happy you are not a counter top.
I'm off to finally meet some of the regulars who congregate at Jo's CHAT ROOM.
"Jo's Chat Room". HaHa! I'm envisioning a sign over the door. LOL!
*smiling*
I wasn't going to go the "nice post" or sappy compliment route with my comment - even before you brought it up.
All I was going to say is, I don't think you're vane. I think you're funny. You always bring a smile to my face and I love visiting you!
BTW, I do think you're beautiful. *grin*
We like you, we really do like you!
What's not to like. :)
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