During the past few years one of the most enjoyable weeks of each of my 365 days has been when my wife and I join our daughters and son-in-law for a week-long beach vacation, usually in Mexico. This year we met up on the island of Cozumel. In addition to the snorkeling, side trips and good food, it is always nice have together time with the daughter and son-in-law, who live in Colorado.
The night my wife and I celebrated our anniversary, we were having dinner at La Choza restaurant, just off the plaza in San Miguel. We had been taking some pictures and my oldest daughter was complaining about how she doesn”t like to have her picture taken because of how she looks in pictures. My son-in-law said that he enjoys having his picture taken occasionally because it reminds him off what he looks like at that specific age. He said that in his mind he”s still just a boy.
I”ve thought about what Todd said that warm Mexican evening in the open-air caf?, somewhat because I have always felt that way and it made me wonder if, perhaps, most people feel young on the inside, no matter what their outer appearance is.
I guess the difference all boils down to feeling and knowing. I know I”m 58, but in my mind 58 doesn”t feel any different than 28 or 18. Somewhere between the old adage, “You”re only as old as you feel,” and the Stephen Sondheim song, “You”re Only as Old as You Look” is reality. A picture is reality and is kind of like a report card for our appearance at that moment in time. And, maybe that is why my daughter, Melanie, and most of the rest of us, at times don”t like the results of pictures. They show the continuing maturation process.
Some people might exclaim that you observe the aging process every day when you look in the bathroom mirror while shaving or brushing your teeth. My own opinion is that there are two reasons why we aren”t as concerned about the aging of the image staring back at us in the mirror. First of all, that image isn”t captured on paper like the photograph is, for the rest of time.
Secondly, I believe that we all have something in our brain that acts like Photoshop, the photography software program for our computers. It allows us to touch up our images before we print them. I think each of us does a little mind-controlled air brushing, feathering or sharpening. It”s probably more like the one button on the Paint Shop photo program called “Quick Fix.”
Hey, it is a wonderful attribute to have a healthy self-image. I don”t believe any counselor or therapist would disagree that a positive self-image is one of primary cornerstones to a successful life. So, it”s OK if we doctor the picture a little.
As far as age is concerned, I have always been pleased that I don”t age in my mind. Sure, the reality is that I have more wrinkles, more scars, more aches and pains and less hair with every passing year, and I am trying to deal with my body growing old. The one thing I can control is to decide that I never have to have an old attitude.
Gary Dickson is the editor and publisher of the Record-Bee. Call him at 263-5636, ext. 24. E-mail him at gdickson@record-bee.com.
