Thoughts for Thursday: Yearbook Photos

On This American Life last week they discussed how yearbook photos are just a smiley face and don't show for the most part who that person really is and what is going on in their lives at the time. What will people remember of this time in their lives from their year book photo? I am going to date myself and throw up some old photos of myself. The first one is of my freshman year, I think, that or sophmore, pretty sure freshman. See, I get nothing memory wise from the photo, except that I loved that reddish shirt. The second is the end of my sophomore year I was cleaning out my locker. It was on the third floor by the biology room. My softball jacket is in there, I'm holding the box that my class ring came in and wearing one of my fav shirts. I actually came across a note while digging this out that said, "remind mike to tell me something some day Aug 6 1990." Well, here's your reminder. I knew exactly what it was about as soon as I saw it. Weird. The third is my senior portrait(Modern Portraits Ironwood MI). I get nothing from that photo either, though senior photos have come a long way since then. even my brother's('96) had more of his personality in them. I think there is an effort to capsulize who you are in them now, which I think is great. And the last one, sorry Mom, I did drink at Jessie's party, though I think I confessed that one already. Yep, life in a small northern WI town; nothing like a party at the deer camp.
When you look at your yearbook photos, do you get the warm fuzzies from high school, or a big blank like me. My personal photos are where it is at. I remember so much when I look at them. Even with Peanut Butter's studio photos, which I love, I don't get sense of who she is, which is why I don't feel so bad about missing her 18 mo one.