How I see myself

Apparently these days, I see myself as perpetually behind a camera. It’s been a while since I’ve posted any reflective photos: perhaps I got my fill of narcissism during last summer’s self portrait marathon. As luck would have it, though, today’s Photo Friday theme is How I See Myself, thereby providing an excuse to post three reflective images I shot during last weekend’s walk through the optimistic streets of Newton, MA.

I’ve always seen myself as being a lazy Buddhist, so it made sense to snap my reflection alongside a sleeping Buddha displayed in the window of some posh boutique. Since when is Buddhism trendy? I must have been (yes) sleeping when staring at the floor became a stylishly cool thing to do…or at least to be seen doing. Do I see myself as being posh, trendy, or stylish? Not in the very least…which again is why it makes sense that I appear off to the side, marginal, in this image. If sleeping Buddhas are Where It’s At, I’m somewhere off to the side, only slightly present: a visual hanger-on.

In shooting a reflective shot that features the arabesque margin of an upscale restaurant window, I also managed to catch a passerby eating ice cream. In the foreground, I’m soft in the middle; in the background, a skinny chick feeds her flatter, toner tum. Do I see myself as a Chunky Monkey craving some Chubby Hubby? Not exactly, but I don’t see myself as a Skinny Chick either. I guess when it comes to the Battle of the Bulge, I’m somewhere between a rock and some Rocky Road: just me, my camera, and a handful of reflections that don’t lie.

This is my contribution to today’s Photo Friday topic, How I See Myself.