Looking at this photo of me and Uncle Mark, I realize how times have changed- how I have changed. At 20 1/2 months old I was bright-eyes and naive. I had no idea what the world had in store for me. I had no idea the things people were capable of. To me the world was
merely a space meant for exploration. There were no limits. There was no pain.
The world was full of nothing but happiness. But times have changed. My eyes
are not as blue, my hair is a darker brown, and I haven't seen my Uncle Mark in
many years. Now I know the horrible things that people are capable of. I know
that there are limits- limits to the places you can go, limits to the knowledge
you can have, and limits to the things you can achieve. But most of all I've
learned that the world is full of pain, sorrow, disappointment, and (sometimes)
happiness. Regardless, one part of this picture still reigns true today: my
smile. Knowing all of the horrors this world has to offer I still manage to
maintain that smile. That smile that reveals an optimistic outlook on the
world, even in times of sadness. That smile that makes you recall a happier
time, and reminds you that there are more to come. Through all these years I
have managed to hold onto that part of me, and I hope to never lose that. Because
"the knowledge gained through [this photograph] will always be [one] of sentimentalism",
(Sontag) it is invaluable to me. Looking at this photo will always remind me
who I was, and give me the resolve to keep that optimistic outlook on life.
