Blog Post #12

Memory of a Photograph: Which photograph from your past do you remember most? Describe this photograph. Describe how it makes you feel when you remember/think about this photograph. How have you changed? How has the place in this photograph changed? What would a reenactment of this photograph look like? Would you act or look differently if you reenacted this scene today?


One of the photos I remember the most from my childhood is a snapshot of my dad and I standing beside the “snowcat” we made. It is winter and the ground is covered in snow. Or rather, it was before we rolled snowballs through it, leaving patchy, twisting trails along the ground that reveal the dead grass beneath. I’m smiling broadly (actually I’m not, this is how I remember the photo and memory, but after writing this I looked up the photo and I have a strange distant half smile and I look pensive, funny how the mind plays tricks), adorned with a tacky turquoise winter coat, an obnoxious neon red-orange, blue and white striped hat, baggy purple snow pants and neon gloves that are much too big for me. I look like a colorful patchwork disaster of mismatched clothing and I don’t care at all (I still wouldn’t). I am seven and my hair is long and a transitional shade of medium blond (I started out blond and it has gotten darker and darker as I have gotten older). My dad is wearing a plaid jacket and jeans. He’s hunched down to my level and has his arm proudly around me and the snowcat between us, which has a lump of coal as a nose, two blue tokens from an old gameboard as its eyes, triangular snow ears, twig whiskers and nubby snow arms and feet. My grandparents’ house is in the background, along with several bushes and trees, including a birch tree I have always liked.

This memory is a happy island in a hard part of my life. Although the day was amazing and fun, I have a hard time completely separating it from the other events that were going on at the time. My parents had divorced recently and I wasn’t seeing my dad as much as I was used to from when we all lived together. Life got a lot more complicated than I knew how to death with yet, but that day stands out- a carefree day with my dad giving me tips and pointers on how to roll and stack the snowballs for our snowcat, just him and I.

Physically, I’ve changed a lot since then- it was 14 years ago. My hair is short and dark brown (or red if I’ve dyed it) instead of long and blondeish. I’m taller and physically mature now.

I don’t think this photograph could ever be reenacted, not only because it is physically impossible since he has since passed away, but I don’t think I would want to either- some memories are better left how they were. I feel like something would be ruined or it would be some sort of blasphemy to try and copycat this picture. However, one day when I’m much older, if I ever have children of my own, I’ll teach them the joy of making snow animals and there will probably be pictures of it.