“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
{This candid image of a woman struggling against the forces of nature as the wind whips her umbrella inside, thick banks of snow lining the sidewalk, is a familiar scene that many of us can no doubt relate to. Snapped by New York photographer Arthur Fellig (who also went by the pseudonym Weegee) during the 1930s, this shot veers away from some of darker, grittier subject matter, such as crime scenes, that Fellig is known for, and shows instead a moment of difficulty that the lovely lady in this shot chose to meet with an optimistic smile.} (http://bit.ly/4nbrYE)
{Five people recline in deck chairs in front of what may have been a restaurant (deducted by the writing on the wall behind them that says “Coffee, Cake”), with a sixth party in the form of Donald Duck rounding out the group, all of whom seem to be enjoying a leisurely afternoon together sometime during the 1930s.}
{Aside from the words “Charter members 1954-1955” no information is provided for this photo of several young women standing in a semicircle, sporting wonderfully pretty dresses, holding taper candles. What, I cannot help put ponder, were they “charter members” of? A church group, sorority, women’s auxiliary club?}
{Her gaze hooks you in instantly. Direct and sharp, yet anything but stern, there is nothing overtly flirtatious about it, however it seems so beguiling, and instantly makes you yearn to know who this lovely young brunette woman, relaxing on the grass in her cute short sleeved dress and saddle shoes, was – and if she had any idea how captivating her eyes were.}
{A women leans in to chat with her fellow as they sit on a bench on (or in front of?) the Eiffel Tower in Paris, a lone man shares the same seat with the couple yet his staid expression would indicate he wasn’t the least bit interested what they were discussing.}
{An energetic youngster imagines he’s belting out rock and roll tunes for a cheering crowd in this smile inducing shot from the 1950s. Something about his pose can’t help but make he think that he was channeling his inner Elvis here.}
{A mother and her four young, sweater clad children pose near the doorway of their home in this endearingly sweet family snapshot, for which no background information is provided. I would guess that this photo hails 1950s England, and like to imagine that the family had a charming British surname like Merryweather or Watson.}
{Two elegantly dressed women appear to be trying to beat the heat with the aid of a large fan (although the cord across the front of the fan makes me wonder if was actually plugged in at the time), as they sit on a living room sofa, perhaps as guests (or hostesses) at a cocktail party, in this great snap that’s clearly dated April 1956.}
{Three sharply dressed women and man, all wearing hip sunglasses, glance towards the camera in this shot taken amongst a crowd sometime during the 1950s. It’s impossible not to love the jolts of red in this colour photograph, especially the lady in the grey coat’s incredible hat.}
{Entitled “Mom and Cindy”, this snapshot (dated 1959) shows a young mother and her daughter in summer attire standing directly in front of a car parked near some tall trees, which makes one think that this photo may have been captured while on a family road trip.}
{All images above are from Flickr. To learn more about a specific image, please click on it to be taken to its respective Flickr page.}
I believe that I’ve always, if only in the pit of my soul, known who I truly was – on some level we all do – but it’s really only been for the past three or so years that I’ve begun to allow myself to embrace who I am fully. I dropped accumulated pretenses and shook off (figurative) masks put on me before I was even old to dress myself; took a long, hard look at my reflection in the mirror and decided that I was going to start better loving the person I saw staring back at me.
It’s frightening at first when you realize that have the right to feel free, to be who you want, to accept what you are and also that you can work towards changing those things about yourself you may not like. Embracing that being an individual, the only “you” in the whole world for all time, complete with strengths and weaknesses, flaws and incredible talents, is one of the single greatest gifts any human being can ever bestow upon themselves.
