Published: June 10, 2008 12:11 am            

Ms. Takes: It’s fun to scan the photo gallery

The early-morning regulars out at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center have been playing a little guessing game.

I understand that it was a sort of dual brain-storm, but it all began with a couple of folks bringing in baby pictures. Soon everyone wanted to play the guessing game of who it was portrayed in the altogether — plus or minus the conventional fur rug. My Best Friend, always the teacher, was able to identify many simply by insisting that “the eyes don’t change! Look at the eyes!”

The baby pictures went on for several weeks with more and more pictures turning up daily. Then the baby picture gig rather hit a plateau.

We gathered up our first pictured portraits and were asked to bring in pictures from elementary school. Many of those were a bit more recognizable for me, but then I am not a devotee of the “look at the eyes” theory — at least it doesn’t seem to work for me as well as it does for my BF.

I debated about my elementary school picture. One, featured me with my hair in a braid (literally) which had to be taken to accompany my 4-H sewing project at the Illinois State Fair lo those many years ago. Dad kept me standing in a hot summer sun for too long and the resulting picture looks as if I might be a dead ringing for Lizzie Borden. I recall being ready to flounce off in a pet and forget the whole project.

I chose a picture, a dual portrait of me and Mom, taken on vacation in Northern Minnesota. I look equally pathetic in that picture, but at least I was smiling.

The elementary pictures will give way to high school or teenage pictures. Maybe graduation activities spurred that change in the portrait gallery.

Whatever, my BF and I are combing through drawers and albums in an effort to find something not TOO disreputable to add to the game.

My family was always ready with the Brownie Box, but my BF’s various growth spurts are pretty much not recorded. We do have a couple — each of us dug out our high school graduation pictures and, eyes or no eyes, all the pictures are beginning to look like someone we know.

It’s fun to go in and scan the latest additions to the portrait gallery. “That can’t be YOU!” is a frequent comment, but all too often it IS.

I’m not sure where this will go from high school. Maybe wedding pictures? Maybe OUR babies?

        

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