Reflections: A Book

Day 15: Hiking and Makeup

So I'd like to try my hand at another contest. This one for the month of February, you guessed it, a Black History month competition. I've mentioned it before and got a couple 'Yay's but the absolute failure of "AFaith's Unofficial Account BDay Event"  has made me gun shy. *sigh*

I think it's unrelated but perhaps subconsciously considering this decision may have led to "Note: Happy Hat Day! [Link: 'http://www.writin...".
Mainly I was wondering how many people assumed I was related to, or otherwise personally knew, the person pictured. I'm sure no one most people didn't make that mistake when I had the Mandela pic up, but I digress.

To be fair I had only seen the picture once before, twice in all, that I can remember; but then I'm young and inexperienced with the world. That being said I wonder how recognizable it is to people over 40.

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Write about a childhood experience that you remember vividly. Include as much sensory detail as possible.

Sadly it seems easier to remember scarring events than fun ones, so I made an extra effort to remember a 'scarring at the time but in retrospect it was very fun' memory.

My Dad was big into getting us kids into nature. We would take long hikes in some of the most gorgeous Georgia parks and we spent some time in the mountains every year. I want to say Ellijay? Don't remember the name but there was one cabin community we frequented and I remember learning to ride a horse there and completing a scavenger hunt that my Dad put together all on his own. Super awesome (except for the time I was chased by wasps and literally ran out of my shoes, I was so terrified, because I'd never been stung and didn't know if I was allergic or not) and creative.

This particular memory took place on one of our short jaunts through a local trail.

It was one of my favorites. We had walked all the way to the waterfall and back, but that wasn't enough for my adventurous father. It was me, my older and younger brothers and my younger sister; think my older adopted sis missed out on this one. Once we got back from the trail Dad decided we should try traversing this huge bridge; not like humans though and go over it, but like some sort of troll/parkour hybrids and go under it.

There was this massive rock wall/dam under the intended and safe wooden bridge. We made it across the rock wall ok but there was one tiny detail Daddy Dearest neglected to consider before we traversed into unknown waters (pun intended). How to get to the other side? Hydrated fowl jokes not withstanding - The bank wasn't as shallow and accommodating on the far side. We would have to do some fancy rock jumping to make it safely across.

It may have just been the terror of the moment, but I swear the strength and speed of the flowing water picked up and continuously gained momentum right around the time I found out I'd have to jump across a 4 or 5 foot expanse. Come to think of it, I may be somewhat of a natural athlete but I definitely strengthened and honed some skills in childhood due to stunts like this.

All of us took our Leaps of Faith and made it safely to the other side except my younger sister. She was about.....6 maybe 7 at the time? She was the princess of the bunch and the whole day had just been pure torture for her from the get go. Imagine her elation when Dad announced he was going to throw her from their perch on this huge wet boulder, into the arms of my older brother David who was safe on the rivers edge. I'll never forget the determination on that little girls face as she was catapulted into the air. Her arms and legs went into strategic 'grappling hook' fashion for maximum attachment. True to big-brother/caretaker fashion, David caught her effortlessly and we all survived to hike another day.

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Your best friend with the time machine decides to give you another opportunity to try out his invention, and offers you the chance to go back in time and change one single moment/decision in your own life. What moment would you choose, why did you choose it, and what would you do differently?

For a sec I thought I was experiencing de-ja-whodo and Jeff had re-posted the same prompt. It's amazing what we can trick our brains into believing when a bit of ego's involved.

Great prompt; easy answer. I'm proud (in a healthy way) to say that right now in my life I have no regrets. Made mistakes sure, but none have been so horrible that I honestly wish I could do them over. However, I'm a thinker and in so doing have forced myself over the years to think of at least one or two things that I wouldn't mind were changed and one thing rings out as Numero Uno.

It was a simple day and the remark was innocent enough but the impact was major. I was only 11/12 years old, we had just left the house, I think Mom was taking me to middle school in the morning because we were about 5 miles down the road, the BP was on the corner to our right and we were waiting to turn left. My little brother angelically asked our Mom why she wore so much make-up and without a consideration in my brain I blurted out "Because she likes to look like a clown".

Now, to this day I'm not a huge fan of make-up. Just this past year was the first time I actively purchased foundation and the works. Nothing against people who wear it but I have a hard time reconciling the fact that I "NEED" to wear it. All that says to me is 'my natural face isn't good enough' IOW: You're ugly with out manufacturing. I have a long drawn out list of reasons why I think this way but I don't feel like getting into it. See "BNMW Day" 

Anywho, my Mom sold Mary Kay for a number of years and she and her sisters are huge makeup fans. That aside, my comment hurt her feelings. I mean really hurt her. I saw it in her face and heard it in her voice. I was crushed right along with her. I think I thought she wouldn't mind the remark because she loves makeup so much, so what would she care what I thought? The moment passed and it was never spoken of again but I'll never forget the first time I hurt someone's feelings without meaning to. I would like to change that in my time machine trip.

Instead I would ask my Mom if she would still love me if I never wore makeup. At that tender age maybe she would soften her heart a bit and not be so on me to wear it now as an adult. I'm sure her answer then would have been the same as it is now: "Not only does it make you look good but foundation protects your face from the elements...etc.etc." But at least that situation could have been a bit of a bonding moment instead of the emotional train-wreck that it was.