I remember when I was little of my grandpa taking me up to a photographer’s studio and having my picture taken. I sat in a little chair and posed with my legs crossed and my arms folded. I really didn't care for the whole picture-taking experience; however, I still have that photo today. (Wow, I was a cute little girl.)



We did not take a lot of pictures when I was growing up, but a few have surfaced of me through the years I would rather not talk about. My first real camera was a Brownie Hawkeye. It looked like a square box and had an attachment in which you put these big flashbulbs. Yes, I know, that goes back a few years and it is probably an antique by now.



I do not claim to be a great photographer and have had my share of funny pictures which I snapped myself. In taking pictures for the paper, I once took pictures for a story and did not even realize that there was a flower swag on the wall right above my subject’s head that looked like antlers in the photo. Another picture I shot was of some ladies holding some huge puffballs in their hands. In fact, the puffballs were so huge they covered almost everything but their heads. Needless to say, those did not get printed and had to be retaken.



The rage today is taking “selfies.” I took my first selfie about a year ago and took at least 25 before I got what I thought was a good one. If you don't know what a selfie is, it is simply taking your own picture with a digital camera or a cell phone.



I love to take selfies because there is always a slight chance I will get a good photo of myself. I found out that I look better if I stand in front of a mirror and take my own picture.



I have tried taking a selfie of myself holding my cat, but all she did was howl, scratch, bite and run away.



A lot of people take selfies maybe of themselves at a special occasion and some just take them for fun.



Did you know that one of the first selfies taken in 1914 was done by a 13-year-old Russian gal in front of a mirror? She wanted to send it to a friend and in a letter she explained, “I took this picture of myself looking at the mirror. It was very hard as my hands were trembling.”



The earliest usage of the word selfie can be traced as far back as 2002. It became a good way to share how you looked on social media. A funny story is that in 2011, a crested black macaque stole a wildlife photographer's camera and flew away with it. When the camera was recovered, there were hundreds of of selfies on it and one was of a female macaque grinning into the camera. (Of course it was a girl).



Selfies are very popular in social media because you can choose a picture you look good in and post it for everyone to see what you look like. However, serious injuries and deaths have been attributed to someone taking a selfie. One unfortunate man was trying to shoot a selfie of himself with his gun. He made a mistake, shot the gun, and you can guess what happened.



Several younger (and older) people have attempted to take selfies while driving, which also proved deadly.



With today’s technology, you can document almost everything with a digital photo. I was eating out the other evening and I saw a young lady taking a picture of her plate of food. I asked her what she was doing and she replied, “I love to take pictures of food. I do it everywhere I eat.”



Documenting memories with photographs is wonderful, whether it be a selfie, food or a macaque. Some day, look back at the old pictures of yourself and yes, look at your selfies, too. Someday, I will perhaps snap a good selfie of myself.



One old saying is this, “If tomorrow will be the end of the world, I will spend my today by looking at the pictures of my past!”



While a vengeful lover said this, "I love my ex so much I printed out all his pictures. After all, I need him for target practice. And I just love customized toilet paper and doormats. My only regret is that those items don't bear his photograph.”



Have you taken any selfies? Do you have to snap many to get a good one? Show me your selfies and I'll give you a Penny for Your Thoughts.



PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS











PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS















