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The Birth of Mazzy the Mermaid Princess

My 1976 Selfie

It was a hot summer day in 1976 that I took my first “selfie.” I was in a small dorm room located on a community college campus in East Texas. 

I was taking a summer photography class and had been lent a camera by the photography Instructor. It was a box with a mirror and I had to hold it steady and long to have the light come into it and the picture engraved on the negative.

I stood in front of the mirror in my room and held the box close to my body as I looked up and waited for the image to be taken. I couldn’t move and didn’t want to breathe.  It’s not the same as today when you can put your cellular phone up and just snap. If you don’t get it right you delete and take another one.  No, this one was different. You didn’t know how the image would come out in the dark room until you processed the film and put the paper into the water bath of chemicals to see the output that would magically appear! 

That summer I took a lot of pictures, mostly of my nieces and nephews. I was amazed at the clarity and expressions I captured. I really liked my selfie. It showed me as the smart ass I was in school.  I was a Rebel of the seventies. I thought I knew everything and no one could tell me otherwise. I captured my rebellious youth and independence. 

I really didn’t know as much as I thought looking back in hindsight. I only imaged most things which weren’t at all the way they truly were. Regardless I captured my image that showed who I was in that moment in time like people do today only more frequently due to technology.

I had someone tell me that this generation invented the selfie (maybe the name) but I have to differ since I have my own from 1976 and many others, mainly Photographers, of the past have theirs to prove the existence of a long ago sensation of taking one’s own self portrait. The difference is with the instrument, be it a cellular phone, camera or even a paint brush.  It is the concept of immortalizing one’s self with an image from a moment of time. 

I actually like mine. What do you think?

Just Keep Moving

 This is a fictional story based on true events written for an assignment in my writing class. 

The ship was headed out to sea.  The coast line of California was barely visible as it headed at full speed toward the Hawaiian Islands.  Pearl Harbor had just been bombed only days before on December 7, 1941 by the Japanese Imperial Army and the USS. McCoy was being deployed to help with the search and rescue mission. The crew was still in shock and hardly anyone spoke on board as they headed out to help their fellow sailors.

“Hey, Rick do you have a cigarette?”  Charlie asked.

“Yea, here you go.  What do you think we will find there?” 

“Beats me, but it won’t be good.  I can’t understand why we didn’t know.  How could this happen to us?  You know I had orders to transfer to the U.S.S. Arizona two weeks ago but they postponed them until they could replace me.  Lucky me. It could have been me.  I just don’t know why it wasn’t.” 

“Charlie, sometimes things are meant to happen for a reason, Rick said.  I know.  I once missed a flight out of New York, headed for Alabama and it crashed.  It wasn’t meant to be.  This is what was meant to be, you and me going to Hawaii and cleaning it up.  Next stop Japan.  Next stop Germany.  It won’t end.  We will keep cleaning up the mess. “How long have you been in?”

“Too long.  I was going to be discharged in August but re-enlisted since I was promised an assignment in Hawaii.  What a joke now.  I guess I am now officially assigned there but not like I thought I would be.” 

”Well, to make you feel good, I was scheduled to be discharged yesterday!  Thank you Japan! Now my lucky ass is good for at least another year, two or however long it takes.  Help us all if we enter the war with Germany. I might never leave. ” 

Rick looked up at the blue sky and was silent for about five minutes as both men contemplated the weight that was now on their shoulders.  The only sound they could hear were the waves as they beat against the ship.  War was inevitable and a world war at that.  Rick looked back down and turned to Charlie.  “Remember your fate will happen no matter what.  Lucky one day, maybe not the next.  You just have to keep moving.  Here have a few more cigarettes for tonight.  I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Charlie thanked Rick for the cigarettes as he put them in his pocket.  “Yea, see you tomorrow and thanks for the smokes.”  As Rick left the deck, Charlie turned to look for the shoreline but it was gone.  Gone he thought.  Now there is nothing but the ocean and our ship.  What if we are attacked?  As he thought about being attacked, Rick’s voice echoed in his head, “Remember your fate will happen no matter what. Lucky one day, maybe not the next.  You just have to keep moving.”

I’ll just keep moving….

My Candle

The glass plate with curved edges surrounds the red glowing candle like a castle moat waiting to capture any prey that ventures toward it.  The small, odd shaped, some would call lopsided candle is positioned in the center of  the plate burning quietly as though it is a treasure that needs to be protected.  The wick slightly curved to one side gives the flame a tilt to the right edge where it is slowly melting the side and dripping wet, hot wax down toward the gallant moat.  The flame appears to be blue at the base and gradually changes to a translucent grey before shooting out a glowing somewhat illuminating yellow flame.  The obscure privacy glass window behind it reflects the candle in a mosaic pattern and gives the window flame reflection a distinct yellow and fiery red glow as though it says I want to be different.

This was written for another writing class assignment on observing something and writing about it.  

I Remember

I remember walking on dirt and blacktop roads when I was a little kid barefoot in the hot Texas heat.   

It was so long ago but I remember all the wonderful smells of apple pie cooling in the neighbor’s window, the hard rain hitting the tin roof and the smell of the fresh air. 

I remember all the things I use to love to do when I was little.  Play with horned toads, slimy grass snakes and doodle bugs that go so very slow.  

 I remember hot summer nights where I longed to go indoors to the cold air conditioning. 

 I remember the beaches in the south with the hot waves and white sand so different from the Northwest. 

I remember.....