My Dad took a photography class in high school. This self portrait was one of his assignments. After my grandmother gifted it to me I showed it to him. He said it wasn’t very good and he remembered feeling awkward taking it. He doesn’t see what I see. I love this picture. I love that he was brave enough to carry through with taking it despite his self-consciousness. I love that it marks a period in his life right at the edge of becoming a boyfriend, a soldier, a husband, a father, and now a grandfather. I see this picture and it brings happy tears of love to my eyes. That’s my dad and I love him.
Speaking of self-portraits…you didn’t think I’d let this opportunity to plug my self-portrait contest slip by, did you? There’s still time to take a chance and try something new. I wrote this post: In Self Defense for my daughter because I hope that she will exercise self-compassion when she enters the inevitably awkward adolescent years. I want her to choose self-acceptance over self-loathing which seems to disturbingly run rampant through our family tree. So please take part. Three random participants will receive prizes for playing along, please see the post for the entire scoop. I’ve received two most lovely entries so far. Contest closes on Sunday, February 16th.
Also, what better day than Valentine’s Day to tell you all how much I love finding you here with me when I log on and pour my heart out. It means very much to me. Thanks for stopping by.
Love,
Sandra
Square One Notes 
That is a great photo of your dad, Sandra. He is ready for the world. Happy Valentine’s Day to you and yours.
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Thank you Mark! Happy Valentines Day to you and your family too. Stay warm!
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What a great picture–and I love how you describe him on the edge of adulthood. Very powerful.
It’s like a retro-selfie:)
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Thank you so much! I love this picture too. He’s a great guy. Happy Valentines day! Thanks for the kind comment.
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The innocence of youth.
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Thank you! I agree. So glad my grandma kept this for me.
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I hadn’t thought of how different we see the pictures of our parents. In my eyes, there are no bad pictures of my parents, though they may feel differently.
Was this taken at a high school in the Santa Cruz area, or somewhere else? It looks a lot like the building I took a photo class in in the early ’80s.
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Thanks for the comment! This pic was taken around ’67 in Gilroy, CA. Garlic Capitol. š
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Ah, Gilroy. I always enjoyed driving over Hwy 152 and coming out near Gilroy, where I would get a whiff of the garlic growing in the fields. I suppose it’s changed a lot, like the entire coastal region of California, but it was always nice to drive through.
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