Throwback Thursday

Day 2: Selfie Time! A Favorite Photo of You

Technically I'm late posting...oops. So that makes it a Throwback Thursday and not just a selfie! 

[It took FOREVER to find this picture!]

This was my user picture for a long time on here, and it's the one that come to mind as soon as I read this prompt before jumping into the challenge. 

I love this picture because it reminds me of a lot of things. This was taken the day after I turned 23...and the day after I got my nose pierced. I was home for the summer, and I faced an upcoming school year of methods classes and student teaching before GRADUATION. Many, many adventures were coming my way, and I was feeling really optimistic about everything. I was so sure of myself because I knew I was ready for it after 4 years of working for this,

after 2 preschool jobs,

after years of babysitting experience, 

after being reminded so many times of how awesome kids are. 

This picture reminds me of when I was practically fearless. I'd get an idea, go with it, and I really didn't care what people thought. 

People don't expect a little Lutheran school teacher to have something as radical as a nose piercing. Sometimes I think that people don't believe anyone with piercings or tattoos or crazy hair colors or an occasional drink or a smoking habit or anything outside a stereotype can love Jesus as well as they can. This was a small, safe stand I took to try to break that mindset a little bit. 

I don't have a nose piercing anymore. I had to take it out last year for a surgery. I put it in a container for safekeeping at the hospital, but it wasn't in there anymore by the time I got home. I didn't stress out too much about it. I was sad, but I didn't put anything else in. I just would have taken it out for our wedding a few months later anyway.

I certainly didn't aim to preserve these things when I took this -- I just wanted to show it off -- but it's funny how we inadvertently attach memories to little things like selfies.