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.
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