Half-penny thoughts — 07jan26

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michael raven

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michael raven

Sometimes, when I look in the mirror or in the work chat camera, I’m a little surprised by who I see there. The person looking back at me appears to be a reflection of myself, except that all that grey and all that beard (not to mention the bushier eyebrows) seems much more gnome that it ought to be for the person I recall being.

If I’m being generous, I replace the “gnome” with “druid”. However, self-generosity doesn’t come easy, so gnome is of more frequent use. Perhaps there is a better description? I’ll have to think about it (I’ve not quite evolved into a “troll”, but I suspect it will come sooner than later).

Are you ever surprised by who you see in pictures of yourself? If so, do you think it is generally for the better or for the worse? If you were to use a common word or phrase of less than five words, what do you think best describes your general appearance or that someone might mistake you for being?

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19 responses to “Half-penny thoughts — 07jan26”

  1. Tansy Gunnar Avatar
    Tansy Gunnar

    Michael, gnomes are cool! My family has always been pretty attached to garden gnomes. They’re gardening superheroes. If you are breathing and not less than 1 foot tall though, it’s safe to just call yourself a Druid. I assure you, you’re not a gnome. Don’t take my word for it though. Only you know you. 😉

    I’m used to seeing an overweight, miserable person looking back at me. It’s unsettling to sometimes catch a glimpse of some tattooed, middle-aged, curly-haired Barbie with a huge thigh-gap staring back at me. I don’t recognize her. I’m not complaining, I just don’t know what on earth happened. 🤷 I was always told that I was the ugly duckling in my immediate and extended family… My cousins and siblings aged differently than myself… well, I think it’s the other way around actually? 🤔

    Reply
    1. michael raven Avatar
      michael raven

      I don’t know. Maybe I’m a Gnome of Unusual Size (GUS).

      We’ll mark down you for the Swan category, shall we? 😊 I’m personally probably past such radical transformations for myself, but you never know. Never say never, as they always say.

      Reply
      1. Tansy Gunnar Avatar
        Tansy Gunnar

        GUS, I still identify as duck though.

        Reply
  2. Chico’s Mom Avatar
    Chico’s Mom

    Glenda the Good Witch? The thing that broke my heart the most about aging was when I got my first gray eyebrow. Not my first wrinkle. But that gray eyebrow.

    Reply
    1. michael raven Avatar
      michael raven

      I started to silver up fairly early and I had already come to terms with the likelihood of having grey early before it happened. But I can empathize. It’s a little startling when it happens finally.

      I never noticed when the wrinkles came in. They just suddenly took up residence one day.

      Glenda? I’m having fun with that image. Very pink! 😊

      Reply
      1. Chico’s Mom Avatar
        Chico’s Mom

        🥳

        Reply
  3. erroneouschoices Avatar
    erroneouschoices

    I’m often surprised because on a regular basis, I feel like a child. So to look in the mirror and see a grown up, not less a woman, rather than a messy haired, wide-eyed young girl is sometimes unbelievable. I don’t necessarily think it’s for the better or for the worse, just surprised that I likely see myself, or rather feel myself, as far different than other people feel me.
    As far as appearance in general, I grew up being influenced by a parent that viewed how she looked as the primary thing in life. Appearance and impression in all ways. I can’t help but gauge myself under her scrutiny so likely I will never love what I see in a mirror or photo. It’s just something I’ve resigned myself to.

    Reply
    1. michael raven Avatar
      michael raven

      I can understand how that might happen. I probably was forced to grow up too quickly myself — nothing specific, but I feel like I was suddenly an adult around 18 (maybe as early as 16) and was never really given an opportunity to look backwards. But I can see how it might happen.

      I’ve met several people who had a similar experience with a parent. I can’t even imagine what that might have been like. If she thought you weren’t up to snuff, I am afraid she probably had a terribly skewed idea of what was acceptable. I think that most people are far more beautiful than someone with those attitudes allows for them to be.

      Be kind to yourself 😊

      Reply
  4. Bob Avatar
    Bob

    I don’t think I’m acknowledging how much gray is my hair. Which is most of my hair now. I guess we keep a picture of ourselves in our head, maybe for psychological reasons, that is a lot younger then we are now.

    Reply
    1. michael raven Avatar
      michael raven

      I’m always a little confuddled. Age is some of it but, because I rarely spend time looking at myself in the mirror, I’m never certain if that person is me at all. 😂

      Reply
  5. lyndhurstlaura Avatar
    lyndhurstlaura

    I’ve never been overly concerned with my appearance. I mean, I try – and fail, half the time – to keep the weight down and keep fairly fit, but general features haven’t bothered me that much. It was only about 5 years ago that I realised my right ear sticks out! When I look at teen pictures I think I look better now; my hair isn’t greasy, I don’t have spots and I have two distinct eyebrows rather than a monobrow which goes right across my nose. I don’t think I could be mistaken for anyone else, and a phrase of five words or less? = ‘Not in bad nick’ (to use national slang) or ‘I yam what I yam’ (to quote Popeye). 🙂

    Reply
    1. michael raven Avatar
      michael raven

      There’s an interesting surprise… The ear. Did it always do that? Or did it morph into sticking out more?

      I think I probably didn’t look in the mirror enough, which is why I probably am a little startled by the guy looking out at me. 🙀

      Reply
  6. lyndhurstlaura Avatar
    lyndhurstlaura

    The ear always did it. When my mother passed a few years back I found in a cupboard the framed pic of me as a baby which used to hang on the wall when I was a child. The ear is very much sticking out as it still does. I just never looked hard enough to see it, and like you never looked in the mirror that much. I think it’s a not a bad way to be. Do you know the Sylvia Plath poem ‘Mirror’? I’d hate to be that way. 🙂

    Reply
    1. michael raven Avatar
      michael raven

      I’m sure I read it, but I don’t recall “Mirror” off-hand. I’ll look it up.

      Funny how our mind edits those things out, isn’t it?

      Reply
      1. lyndhurstlaura Avatar
        lyndhurstlaura

        It is indeed! 😊

        Reply
  7. The Creative Chic Avatar
    The Creative Chic

    Yes, I would say I am occasionally surprised when I look in the mirror. At times, I see a face I recognize, yet also one that feels almost like a stranger, worn, quiet, and carrying a weight I didn’t quite ask for. Surprisingly, it is often for the better; these images also capture fragments of me that feel more honest than the version I carry in my head.

    You always have the best questions that really get me thinking 🙂

    Reply
    1. michael raven Avatar
      michael raven

      Thank you for saying so. I prefer to get to know people rather than tell people about myself all of the time. I appreciate everyone who takes the time to answer.

      There is that. Sometimes we are unkind to ourselves in our head, but when we take the time to really, truly see ourselves as others see us, it can be eye-opening. Of course, some of us still carry a narrative that is unkind to ourselves, but we can always hope we see more true in the future.

      Thanks for chiming in, Jennifer 💙

      Reply
      1. The Creative Chic Avatar
        The Creative Chic

        Well, we in turn get to know more about you too, so I’d say, it’s a win win 💙 I’m glad to get to know you better, each day 🙂

        Reply
        1. michael raven Avatar
          michael raven

          I agree. 💙

          Reply

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