Janna's Journey

I know you probably wont believe me when I say I don’t like to take pictures, you are probably thinking. But Janna, You take so many freakin pictures how can that be? Well let me tell you why. Growing up I hated, and hated probably isn’t a strong enough word, but I hated how I looked in pictures, so I would avoid the camera whenever I could. But what I learned from that is I have very little memories from when I was growing up, and I think it is because A. people just didn’t take pictures as much as they do now, and B. I hated to be in pictures so I may have even less memories because of that. I believe that when you capture something in a picture It solidifies your memory of something, you can go back and look at it and it will take you right back to that time and place. But I have noticed that my memories of things that I don’t have a picture of, are starting to fade. Don’t believe that theory? Have you ever been talking to an old friend and they will tell you a memory they have of you and you have absolutely no recollection of it at all?! Well that has happened to me and I think to myself, would I have forgotten this if I had a picture of it? Picture or it didn’t happen is a thing people!

Now if you are thinking I must of changed over the years and now I love taking pictures that would be a
Big Negative! In fact taking pictures is something I have to tell myself constantly to remember to do. Do I love taking them, NO in fact I really wish more people would take them when I am with them so I don’t have to, but If I don’t take them, I know at some point in my life I will be sad. In fact We hosted Thanksgiving at our house this year and I totally forgot to take pictures, NOT ONE! I feel so sad about that, because I know in a few years I will not remember it. Did anyone else take pictures? Nope, because they are so used to me snapping them. So it’s something I have to keep working on.

Your next argument is probably, But I hate what I look like in photos. Well this one I totally get, but let me share with you my thoughts on this one too. You see most of the time it’s because it’s a terrible angle, or I look fat or maybe I AM fat and it’s showing, but what I have learned is this, The weird faces you make in photos, only seem weird to you, because the rest of the world sees you making those crazy faces on the daily, you just don’t know it. Think about it, we really only see ourselves one angle in a mirror or in a photo smiling. In real life we are all angles smiling, laughing, squinting, frowning, and making weird faces you get what I am saying what people see you as is so much more than a two dimensional image, so we aren’t fooling anyone when we have this perfect photo because they see us in everyday life they know what we really look like, so really who we trying to fool? If that makes any sense? Also my new thing I have learned is just try to accept what I look like, and know that more than likely in about 10 years I will wish I looked as “bad” as I did in these pictures!! I mean I wish I was as fat as the first day I thought I was fat! LOL But Seriously people we are not getting any younger, so enjoy the way you look now!

So the next time someone wants to take a picture don’t get all weird about it and try to avoid it, or talk them out of it. You never know, maybe they want that picture because that person is having a great time and wants to make sure that, that exact moment in time gets remembered! Seriously just do it! don’t hesitate, it takes 2 seconds of your time for a lifetime of memories! So get to snapping people!! SMILE!