Mirror in the Bathroom

Originally Posted Sunday, September 7, 2014

One of my favorite forms of photography is the girl in the mirror in the bathroom selfies.  It doesn't really have to be in the bathroom.  It could be anywhere.  It is such a delicious form of self-expression and will be the iconic image of the times.  I love to receive them. They are little nuggets of tremendous pleasure.  They are the most personal gift one can give.  A delicacy beyond foie gras or caviar.  I urge you to send them (to me).  Show (me) your love.  Even Scarlett Johansson does it (not to me).  Selena Gomez.  Et. al. 

Do it while you are young (enough).  I used to do it before selfies were "a thing."  People, I thought, needed to see me.  It would give them great pleasure. And it did.  They delighted in them.  There was a time when I couldn't wait to get naked.  "Oh," I'd think, "this is going to be good for you!"  I used to run miles a day shirtless just to make people happy.  I had a fan club at the Country Club College.  When my ex-wife was fifteen, she was in a car with her mother and her mother's friend when they drove by me while I was running.  "One day, I'm going to date that man," her mother's friend told me my future wife exclaimed. "You stay away from that man," was her mother's reported reply. 

Five year later. . . .

When I was very young, I had a small apartment with only a tub in the bathroom.  The bottom window was textured so that people outside could not see through it clearly.  When I stood up out of the tub, you could only see my top half.  A girl told me once, "You know there is a group that parks outside your window and watches you, don't you?" 

It is glorious to be young and beautiful.  We never think that, though.  That we are beautiful.  But we are not going to get better looking.  We are not going to lose weight.  We will gain character if we are lucky, but our bodies will never have the tight, smooth skin of youth.  Our shoulders will never be so broad nor our hips as narrow.  We will never be as tall nor move with quite the same dexterity.  So, tell me, if you can, why we should discourage people from making a record of themselves at this most beautiful moment (no matter what age--I mean it is the best you will ever be from that moment onward). 

Do it.  Do it.  Don't let the Christians and the Moslems mess you up on this.  And I promise you one thing.  Once you do it, you will begin a new, healthy body awareness that will be a positive thing.  You will begin to eschew the potato chips that come with your lunch, the afternoon Snickers bar, the thirteenth cocktail. 

Someone saw me naked recently.  I am hideous, of course, but was told I was not.  She didn't even say, "you are not that bad."  It was more positive than that.  I know she is wrong, but I've cut my calories, and I plan on even more.  And pretty soon, who knows. 

So get proud.  Send your pictures to me.  If I get enough from people, I promise I will make a new series and call it "Mirror in the Bathroom."