I Oughta Be In Pictures…

There was a song composed in 1934 and recorded by Rudy Vallee by the above title.  Lately I’ve been proclaiming very loudly to my friends and family that I really, really ‘OUGHTA BE IN THE PICTURE!”  I am always the person toting the big, expensive camera everywhere.  I also pull out my cellphone to document every event.  People will ask if I brought my camera or if I would mind taking their photo.  Honestly, I don’t mind.  It’s a well-known fact that I LOVE taking photos.  But as I’ve gotten older and now that I am a Grandma, I have realized that I want, nay, I need to be in the photo as well.  I want these moments to show that I was there and that my friends and family matter to me.  And I guess,  deep down, I am hoping that I matter to them as well.

So, I have begun to insist that someone take a photo of me.  When I take photos at parties and gatherings, I take many shots because I know that someone is going to have their eyes closed or will be looking in the other direction or one of the kids is picking his/her nose.  The more photos I snap, the better the odds are that there will be some keepers.

But – and it’s a big but here – when I hand over my camera or cellphone to someone, they begrudgingly snap one, maybe two quick photos.  I always instruct everyone to look at me and keep saying, “Ok, keep smiling, I’m still taking photos” as I click away.  Did I get the same treatment?  Nope.  And so, I don’t realize that they have even taken the photo and I end up looking like a hot mess.

I’ve recently resorted to taking selfies.  Quite frankly, it’s not been that successful. I have short arms and have trouble pushing the button on my cellphone.  I can’t seem to get myself and other people in the frame.  I have, however, discovered the trick of stretching and holding the cellphone up way high, which makes a person’s face and especially their chin, look much slimmer.

I’m not backing down on my request to be in the photos and I plan on pitching a fit and teaching others exactly how to take multiple photos and let me know when they are ready to push the button.  And if you see me out and about, just remember, I really oughta be in pictures.