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The Selfie: The Day I Turned the Camera on Myself @therealwil.com
I’m not sure when or where it started and I don’t really feel like doing the research. Please don’t make me do the research because you know I will. I just want to comfortably say, that there was a day when cameras only faced forward. You peered through the view finder, focused on your target and snap. We took pictures of things and others but never ourselves. Even then, the best pictures we took didn’t include us. We would ask a stranger to snap the flick for us but now we flick ourselves. 

When did YOU turn the camera on you? Some people think it’s vain, conceited, and self-centered, but as I look through another lens, I am beginning to see through the viewfinder, a horse of a different color. 

Here is truth. If I don’t like me, I don’t want to be in any pictures and I sure as heck won’t turn the camera on me. Could it be that selfies are a glimpse into the love that people are beginning to have for themselves, even if others don’t approve of it? 

 People turn inwardly to destroy themselves when they don’t like the man in the mirror. Turning the camera on one’s self could be a step in the right direction. I didn’t really notice until someone asked me why I don’t smile in pictures. Out of habit, I took all my pictures the same way. It’s a signal of a deeper internal something going on. If you ever have a problem saying “cheese,” something is wrong. I don’t like my teeth, my smile, my face, I don’t feel pretty, I look fat,etc. The list goes on and on. With some people, a simple snapshot could explode into a full fledged drama fest.  

So what happened? It’s not that all of us have been to the dentist, gotten in shape, or have successfully navigated the psychiatrist’s couch. We have not all purchased mansions and luxury cars. I think we snap pics now because we are learning to love ourselves just where we are, they way we are, on the way to where we are going. 

We are turning the camera on ourselves because the world would actually be a crappier place if only Hollywood stars could only post pics. Mary’s Topaz with her girls on a road trip is just as exciting as a movie star on Sunset Boulevard. Mike and his girl downtown Chicago has just as much spark as a glamor star on a beach in Belize. My pizza and wings pic with my kids pack a lot more punch than me watching Demi Moore eat that skimpy thousand dollar meal in Calcutta. If they can snap, we can snap. We live in an equal opportunity snapping world. 

Here is an observation. Maybe the selfie that YOU see of someone else has nothing to do with your opinion? Maybe it does not require your approval, validation, or commentary? Yes, they could have cleaned up a bit more or thought that shot through better but truth is life is not a Perfect Shot!! You only get perfect shots with professional photographers,studios, and back drops. Ain’t nobody got time for all that!! We are living and capturing moments in real time. 

Here is an idea, stop judging selfies!! Who took a vote and made you the “All mighty selfie judge”anyway? Maybe the pic was a (S.I.P.) selfie in progress? or M.U.C(me under construction)?

The point is, if we have to wait until we get it all together to turn the camera on ourselves, we would never take pics. Oh, by the way, you won’t be in the pic either. You don’t have it all together either.  

I took a picture of my last twelve pictures and it gave me an outside view of me and I liked it. If by chance your last twelve picture are mean, evil, hatred rants about everybody being jealous of you, you probably should let a little more light in the camera shutter. Open the blinds a bit more and let God’s Love and Light in.

It could be that nobody is paying you any attention and everybody is really not trying to be like you or copy you. Get a grip. Better yet, get a camera with a reversible camera and smile!  

Go ahead and turn that camera on you!! It’s a real good sign that things are going to be alright!!