Forgive the late delivery this month but I has some technical issues. One of them was being worried about viewing the entries at my office. I’m sure the IT department would be pretty puzzled if they found out it was a woman that was generating all those hits to sites using the term nude or naked repeatedly. I’m sure they think I’m odd enough around there, I don’t need anything new to add to my list of eccentricities.
When I was about fifteen years old, I went into the bathroom one night and realized I could see my neighbors through their kitchen window, nude, making love atop the sink. Perhaps they were inspired by the film “Fatal Attraction.” I stood there quietly, the cold white hexagonal tile beneath my bare feet, watching these events unfold to their unintentional audience of one. That image of unexpectedly seeing nudity beyond a window has always stuck with me. I’m sure to have the curtains drawn at home to ensure I don’t ever have a similar visual gaffe.
I love that this week, Sam turned the concept of the Peeping Tom on it’s head. She chose to show us exactly what she wanted to through a window of her own design. She says, “I look at this image and see a strong, hearty, confident person.” So do I.
There are so many times we find ourselves complaining about one thing or another on any given day. It’s hard to remember to be happy when faced with enormous mounds of laundry, a crying baby, the car that’s stalled again, the boss that’s a jerk. We fuss and gripe about this and that. I’ll go on for close to an hour sometimes about how bad my day’s been.
Not pausing to realize how much we all have that should make us happy. Our families and friends. The roof over our heads. The fridge full of food. The dog’s wagging tail waiting to greet us. Most of us live pretty nice existences compared to the plight of some others in this world. Griping about our my day in light of that is pretty absurd.
This week, one self portrait keeps coming back to my mind. I’ll be going about my day and suddenly, this silly image is bobbing before my eyes. It makes me happy. Even if only for a fleeting moment.
Sometimes that’s all you need to remind you to appreciate what you’ve got. It got me thinking.
Peace til next month, Rachel
This month’s challenge seems to be one that has everyone feeling a bit hesitant to participate. We’ve been more apt to gladly show off our body parts and imperfections than bare what motivates us on a political level. I find that quite intriguing. Why is it easier to reveal our skins over our truest thoughts?
Political isn’t a dirty word. As Holli pointed out earlier this week, it’s true meaning is the process by which we make decisions. It encourages discourse between us on a wide range of topics that touch our lives in many ways. It’s far more encompassing than questions of whether we go to war or pay a tax. If you do not consider politics part of your world, I challenge you to think and look again.
You do not need to to be rich or powerful to be engaged in a political way. The only requirement is that you are interested in conversation with others and coming to a decision about where you stand after weighing all the options.
The photos I’ve chosen this week are all examples of individuals doing just that. They’ve chosen to tackle the issue of the politics of consumption. Each has thought a great deal about where our resources come from and how they choose to use them. In all of these cases, their stand requires of them to make a change in how they choose to feed their families, heat their homes and illuminate their worlds.
Although it feels like I post here once in a blue moon, its good to be back on schedule to share my favorites for week two of the month’s challenge. I spent several mornings this week sipping coffee from a blue mug (albeit not as bright or big as JC’s) as I visited every one of you who posted this week. You all did a BLUE-TIFUL job this week.
The photos I’d like to feature this week are those that exhibited a spirit of playfulness. Whether that means just looking totally at bliss or playing with gender roles or dressing up like a pretty, pretty princess. All of these images make me feel like cutting loose.
Until next month, Rachel
My theme for this week seemed to almost drop from a tree high above and land in my lap. Kind of like when Newton discovered gravity! I was highly amused by Jenica’s post about the evolution of an apple in her house as her small children couldn’t resist taking small bites of apples she set out for display. Then all I could see, or crave, over the past few days are gorgeous apples. Seems like quite a few of our apple-cheeked SPC players also fancy this fine fruit.
I think Vanessa says it best “I love the rough, bruised, bird-nibbled perfection of their skin and the pure, crisp, white, pippy flesh inside. Wherever we go now, handfuls of them come.”
Apples are the perfect portable food, aren’t they? VanessaRob
Apple fact: Apples vary in size from a little larger than a cherry to as large as a grapefruit. geekbetty
Apple fact: China, United States, Poland, Turkey and Italy are the top five apple producing countries
So much goodness to choose from out there this week. Who knew you could be so creative in a place most of us use to check for broccoli between our teeth and do a little light reading?
There are some participants that aren’t comfortable with the theme this month. I’m choosing images this week that should remind us that time spent in the bathroom can transcend necessity. It can be a place to have fun.
If you have the luxury of a place to lock yourself into for a few moments, go ahead relax, cut loose. Nobody’s watching. Except the camera, of course.
This week’s nominees all know how to have a good time in the lavatory. Take a pee-k.
Until next month,
Rachel
Greetings,
This post is being brought to you by new SPC contributor, Rachel. I am super duper thrilled to have this monthly opportunity to post my favorites of the second week of every month. (Or the ones Elizaboothy hasn’t already scooped up already!)
My friends call me Roxydynamite (really, they do ). I’ve been participating in the amazing community of SPC since January 2006. You can find me blogging at The Metaphorical Magpie.
Here are the images that made me catch my breath this week.
