In The Mirror.....
Posted: Friday, September 30, 2011
by Patricia Barbee
http://www.patriciabarbee.com
What I see depends upon the way I slept the night before and the day's weather. Sunny weather brings a lovely morning. Rainy weather brings aches and pains.
One constant memory is re-enforced of primping to have my photo taken for another passport. Yes, I looked good. That was a few decades ago. What I wore is still fashionable today.
Should my hair be showing the right side of my face, I see my Mom.
As the day passes and I look presentable to the world, I see who I've become.
No longer am I that sassy, ready to fly almost any place to party. Oh, yes, I've
timed many an outing to fit into loved ones' West Coast "annual" gatherings at
Aptos-by-the-Sea, just below Half Moon Bay, south of San Francisco.
In and out of the USA and from the head waters of the Mississippi to St. Louis to
the French Quarter in New Orleans, I have partied. These were different outings.
I've celebrated twenty-six of the fifty states. [USA-USA-USA-USA]
Before the airlines charged for everything including breathable air, I'd changed
my TWA ticket twice to continue partying around San Francisco. Oh, I love that
City. I left my heart there too, Mr. Bennett. On the third visit to the TWA desk I
was told, if my return to the East was changed, I'd be charged. I did not pay the
fee and ended my celebration until two years later.
Death has taken about all of the partiers in their sixties or early seventies.
On their natal or death anniversaries, I see my sad face in the mirror with happy
memories that bring tears. Setting the contact lenses have to wait.
As holidays come and go, I do reflect back to my great days of youth.
The old adage that, "Youth is wasted on the young". That did not happen to me.
I have no regrets for all the learning and education I got growing up. My friends
are still my friends. Do keep in mind those are separate things in life. Some
learn by watching or listening to others. Many go to school and come out
educated fools that don't know a thing or how to use their knowledge.
As I grow older and deal with aches and pains twenty six years old caused by
an already suspended drunk driver in a vehicle of another that had no insurance,
I see myself back in my physics class with Dr. Dullea. There were seven of us girls
in there. Each had our own work station. For me the only place happier has been
being in FAO Schwartz in New York City at Christmastime. I played with everything
and built anything I could imagine. I had to see things move. I did not care, water
powered, gravity powered, levers with weights, my "toys" moved. Before mercury
was banned, we were taught to be safe with it.
What I learned from Dr. Dullea's class I find myself using today to make chores
easy to do without adding to the physical woes.
I see the underage bride smirking after marrying the love of her life secretly.
I see Mom laid in repose four days after our Engagement Party for 600 that our cousins had given us and the entertainer was the late, great Lou Rawls.
Mom had gotten her way the direction our wedding was to go and agreed to sign for me to marry my already husband. I've only been able to tell of our escapade in the past three years. I waited. I never wanted anyone to get in trouble. All have passed so I now tell.
We had "Mom's" wedding anyway. It was paid for and the guests were ready for a tamer reception than had originally been planned.
It was a fabulous affair. Now, I see me older than Mom ever got to be and she never saw "her" wedding. She had just turned forty-one.
In the mirror, daily I see more of Mom's sparkling silver hair. For years, I'd been accused of dying my hair to cover the grey. Mom had a natural silver streak that beauticians would have charged a fortune to make. She blamed the silver hair on me. If my precocious antics caused it, great. Mom was a beautiful piece of art in motion. Thank Heavens! My hair is not grey but silver and glistens in the sunlight.
I catch myself primping to let the silver just show the world that age and silver hair are not congruent.
As I age and look into the mirror, I'll keep checking the silver hair and have no plans to ever cut it again. I've about six more years before I need another passport photo and passport. I expect to primp the silver hair that should be very long and have perfect make-up for the photographer. I plan more travel on this earth. However, should The Great Spirit call, I'll be ready to dance in the Sacred Circle at the Big Pow-Wow and celebrate with the Ancestors, Saints, Ancient Ones, and Angels that have protected me since before I took my first breath.
Patricia Barbee © 2011
Patricia Barbee
SearchWarp.com
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)It's amazing how many wonderful articles come from the 'in the mirror' series, yet each is so different, but all give us a view of one another's life.Thank you, Elle. You are so right.
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