Can you see yourself aging?
I can.
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| 2/2009, my headshot, a slight smile. |
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| Two days ago, self-portrait, slight smile |
My smile is different. I used to have a different smile. Somehow, without my noticing it, the entire makeup of my face has changed and my smile is not the one I used to have. The muscles in my jaw clench tighter, the corners of my mouth don’t push back as far. My smile hasn’t been this foreign to me since I had my braces removed. See:
On the left, 2009. At right, 2013. Virtually the same pose, and yet I can see so much changed. Both were taken on the street and in both, I am a tiny bit uncomfortable. (It’s weird to be posing on the street. And it’s weird to have someone else take a photo of you.)
When I tell people my age, their reaction is usually one of surprise. “You look so young!” they usually praise me. “Is that a good thing?”, I started to wonder. Who wants to be young? Young is full of folly and self-doubt. I’ll take wisdom, experience, and the confidence that comes from having lived in this skin for 29 years over “looking young” any day. My smile says it all.
I am just in love with your chest tattoo. It is so awesome…I love roses because my middle name is rose. I think my tattoo is showing in my self portrait today too, its the plane my dad used to fly for my dad. Anyways love that you talked about how your smile has changed. That is really interesting, I wonder if I have changed the way I smile through the years. If you want to share this portrait I am do a weekly Self Portrait Challenge which I posted the linkup today for #Blogtember. Cheers!
Bonnie Rose | A Compass Rose – An Expat Lifestyle blog
That's a pretty sweet tattoo YOU have! Thanks for sharing! Imma hop right over there now! I love self-portrait challenges!
i love your view on getting older! i'm only 24 but i've always felt the same – i'll take the wisdom and experience of life over being stuck "young" any day. you are beautiful – and i love the 'new' smile! 🙂
-michaela | http://twohandfulsof.wordpress.com
You look lovely in the pictures! And I honestly think we all look prettier as we get older. Maybe it depends on what we've been through, but I've known, for example, a lot of women before they were moms and now after – and I just think all of them look more lovely for it, no matter how they feel about how they look. Anyways, sorry for rambling ; ) That tattoo looks like it was painful, but it's pretty!
I guess professional pictures are always a little photoshopped. I really need to put the pictures of the last 6 years next to each other and look at my face I guess 😉
Smile looks the same…the eyes have changed. Seeing things differently??
Maybe I am filtering the images through memory and experience. But it feels as though I've changed over time!!