Days of Innocence

Dedicated to Ms.Blackliterature.com, who's having a baby, "publication date" sometime this summer. Congratulations, girl! You'll soon be taking baby pictures of your own:)

Over the Christmas holidays, I hung out at my Auntie Joyce's house. I told her that I didn't have any baby pictures of myself. So she ran off into another room. . . and came back with a whole slew of them.

Of course I don't remember much about life before the age of five or so, but my Auntie's memory runs deep, and that's a good thing. So here are some of the pictures that I found funny.

This picture was taken on the day I took my first steps, February 14 1971.

It was funny to hear Auntie reinact the whole thing. She said my Mama called her that Valentine's day and said in a robotic tone...

GET. OVER. HERE. WITH. THE. CAMERA!! SHE. IS. WALK.ING!!!!!!!!

So Auntie, being the family photographer and all, ran over and took the picture. I look lovely, my eyes so bright, my hair up in afro puffs!

This is me at Christmas, back in 1974 or 1975 I believe.

Yes. . . an Oldgirl was happy to have that rocking horse!!

Here's me and Auntie Joyce at my Grandma's house.
Yo Supershoe Queen Blogger Serenity AND Queen of Lurk City T... I had the HOT shoes on! Those shoes are HOT, better than any shoes you two are working these days! That dress is a bit too short. You can see my draws and er'thang. Goodness gracious.

I have no idea what I was holding in my hand. None whatsoever. All I know, Auntie was 22 years old, kicking the fly afro, and cheesing quite hard, lol.

That picture was taken at Grandma's house. How do I know? I know because of that chair with the maroon and white stripes. Grandma STILL has those chairs, some 34 years later. That set of chairs still have those plastic covers that leave you all sweaty! I sit in that chair when I go over to her house. Grandma! Get some new chairs!!!

Okay, for pictures I do remember. Here is a picture of me and my Mama, back in 1976.

We were at my Auntie's apartment, over by Greenbriar mall. My aunt's profession, for as far back as I can remember, always involved photography. It is also one of her hobbies. On this particular Saturday night, she was photographing my mother in serious poses, holding wine glasses, looking away off in the distance.

Anyway, I was standing around watching all of this, cracking up. It was the funniest thing to me.

I remember yelling "You're suppose to smile on pictures! You're suppose to SMILE!"

They were paying me NO attention. I was running all over the place. I was told to stay out of the way, which I was doing, but I was running and yelling. But I begged to be in the picture. I think at one time I was trying to look all serious like my Mama, but I couldn't help but to smile.

I think they kicked me out of the way after my one picture, lol.

And finally... My granduation picture.

I was graduating from kindergarten, I believe. My bows were all jacked up. My mama had tied them right that morning, and I had pulled them loose and tied them up again.

I look at these pictures, and I wish I could go back to those days... those days of innocence. Those were the days when I was just happy, didn't have to worry about a thing. The days when I had dreams, big dreams, and didn't worry about whether I would fulfill them. All I knew is if I said it, I could do it. I could be it. There were no thoughts of the hardships, the tears, the haters, the disappointmens, none of that.

Those were the days, the days of innocence.

Hopefully one day, I can approach life with the attitude of a child: not remembering what occurred yesterday and how it would affect today. Not looking in the rearview mirror, all worried about how what I did yesterday keeps me from what I desire to do today.

Sometimes, I think that is what's missing.

I know if I can get that back? If I could just have the right attitude?

Man oh man. . . I can do anything I imagine or desire.