I’ve never really been one for photographs. I’ve always wanted to be into them on an intellectual level.  There’s something alluring about an instance in time being held prisoner on a sheet of glossy 3×5 paper that fascinates me.  But, it’s never been anything more than a passing thought.  Truth be told, I don’t even own a camera.

I suppose in that regard I might be at the extreme.  I’ve enjoyed the photographs taken by others on the opposite end of the spectrum.  Piecing together drunken evenings. Witnessing events that might have otherwise been better off forgotten.  Partaking in a little old fashioned facebook stalking.  Ok, maybe a lot.

For me, though, the ephemeral nature of my memories has always been enough without the concreteness of photographs.  With one exception.  The photograph you see here is one of my most valued possessions.  It seems strange to me that something that does not, nor ever has, existed in the physical space could be so valuable.  But it is. To me anyhow. Allow me to explain.

Inevitably, you’ve heard the phrase, “a picture is worth a thousand words.”  It’s one of those strange colloquialisms that has only existed for a little over a century, but has been so pervasive it may exist for another thousand years.  (makes you wonder what neologisms of today might hang on for a century; holler, cougar, roflcopter?)

The argument could be made that any picture could spark some tangential conversations or nostalgic story that could easily take up 1,000 words.  But that idea misses the point.  I think the phrase was first uttered, at least in my head, about a photograph that captured the essence of something so well that even with ten thousand words you couldn’t possibly convey the clarity and meaning that a simple piece of paper had.  That’s what this photograph does for me.  It captures the essence of Joey.

As is, I’m a verbose person.  If you’ve been to the site before, I don’t need to explain that to you.  But if asked to fully capture whom I am as a person, I wouldn’t know where to begin.  This picture, however, captures what I don’t think I could. It has acted as a sort of compass for me as a person.    Life inevitably throws you curves, and they change you, but this picture  gives me something to weigh myself against.  It acts as a sort of “WWJD” bracelet without the heavy christian overtones.  WWJATFWD.  What Would Joey At The Frog Wedding Do?  A filter for seeing the world as the person I want to be.  Because I want to be like Joey at the Frog Wedding.

Maybe I’ve completely idealized myself.  Allowed my essence to be narrowed down to 3.4 megabytes of hard drive space.  Placed undue importance in a simple photograph.  I’m more than willing to entertain that possibility.  I’ve done stranger things. But look at that picture for a while.  Not too long, cause that might get creepy.  Just for a minute or two.  If we’ve never met, you probably know me better than you think. Know Whether you like me. Or not. Whether we could be friends. Or not. Whether you would hire me. Or not. Whether I’m the type of person you’d like to be like. Or not. Do you have me figured out yet? Or not?

My 561 words, about a picture that says a whole lot more than 1,000.

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