Awkward................

Before I get to my forgotten post, I came across this tumblr site via Awakward Family Photo's.  There is something I find endearing about not only mine, but other's awkward school photo's. It tells a story of how we were feeling, not just looking that day.  This tumblr site is awesome.  Sure it gives a photo of someone when they were not looking their best, but they tell a story about that time in their lives. 

For me, I never felt awkward, that may sound strange, but I also am never embarrassed.  When ever I have been in a group activity and am asked, what is your most embarrassing moment, I struggle, because I don't' have one.  I don't care.  When I have said stupid things that most people would get red in the face about and shrink in their chair I just say, yup I did that.  I own it.  I am proud of the silly things I have said and done.  That is what made me who I am. And those awkward pictures. Those are the best.

One could say my "awkward" stage started in 6th grade. To quote the great writer, Britney Spears, "I'm not a girl, not yet a woman' rings pretty true.  I had unruly curly hair, a mom that loves scarves, and a pension for button up sweaters.  Thus, my Flight Attendant school picture.  For years I would get ragged on for that. But I owned it. And you know why? Everyone remembered me and what I wore that day, but they couldn't' tell me what they wore that day because they didn't take a risk.

Towards the end of 7th grade going into 8th grade I had graduated to hippie/tomboy status. I was wearing my dead grandmother's clothes and shoes. (She died in 1992), this was 1992/93/94.  I loved her clothes. Polyester pants suits, bring colored sandals. I wore bell bottom's, and yin/yang necklaces, had a perm (why, because my curly hair wasn't curly enough).  In 9th grade I cut my hair and wore a pony tail every single day.  I wore my grandmother's bright plastic yellow flowered button up shirt for school pictures. My parents didn't care, they knew I was being true to me.  People laughed, I didn't care. 

In 10th grade I would wear this dress my mom wore in the 70's to school .It was long, and flowy and oh so comfortable. And very hippie. I loved it.  People commented, I didn't care. I slowly got some style, thanks to MTV's The Grind and my older cousin Sarah's sense of fashion. I am still not fashionable, my bff Jenn has a wardrobe that I would die for. She is always so put together.  And Steph my friend and neighbor, always looks amazing.  I didn't start plucking/waxing/threading my crazy eyebrows until I was 23!  Yeh. 23!  I once had an ex-bf say to me" even your eyebrows are naturally curly" yet I wasn't embarrassed, I just said " some girls are lucky"

So next time you see a friend or family member with an awkward photo, ask them to tell you what they were feeling like at the time.  There maybe a surprise story in there for you to hear.