In the Pale

To be sure an European woman would blush to her fingers ends at the very idea of appearing publicly stark naked; but education and prejudice are everything, since it is an axiom, that where there is no feeling of self-reproach, there can assuredly be no shame.
Captain J. G. Stedman

Like the women referred to in this quote, I'm rather uncomfortable in my own skin. I'm not sure that it's always been the case, but the changes that come with age have certainly affected the view that I have of my own body. I think that's why I like the idea of the nude self-portrait theme. The discomfort involved in posting even a small part of one's self is also a path to self-acceptance.

There have been some brilliant and brave images posted this month.

Admittedly, I'm still not feeling that brave, but I did make a second attempt at participating this month.

In the nude

The Self Portrait Challenge for June is "Nude," so I took my camera to the bathtub and took the opportunity to relax... Maybe next week, I'll show you my rubber ducky...hee hee.

Celebrating a Life

I stumbled across an interesting website called Self Portrait Challenge, and I want to play, but my first image deals with grief instead of joy.

The monthly theme for January is Celebration, and I haven't been feeling the spirit of the holidays. In this season, the colors were less vibrant and the confections were less sweet. They were darkened by the loss of my grandmother and my step-mother and a little piece of myself.

My step-mother had two Maltese puppies at home. When she was in the hospital, I brought her this bear because it was the closest thing I could find in the gift shop to a soft, white puppy. She was agitated, and more than anything else, she wanted to go home. She held onto this bear until she died, and I can't look at it without shedding tears. It will always remind me of her, and I treasure it for that reason. The memory of lost love ones is a celebration of their lives.