Jenny over at Mama Drama just wrote in this post about all the weird stuff she owns. You must go see, it is amazing stuff, really, however the glass animal collection is mind boggling!!! I also happen to know that she has a haunted doll house as well, which is a true work of art. In response to her bravely revealing these oddities, she is conducting a contest, requesting that we too reveal the weirdest thing we own. Naturally, I will oblige. Although, I think Jenny should win her own contest, cause one can only imagine what other fantastic treasures reside in her house which she is not telling us about! But, since she asked, I am willing to reveal my strangest possession. It happens to be a school photo that I have carried around with me for over twenty years.  It’s not the photo itself that is strange, but the fact that I have no friggin clue who the person is in that photo. 

One day when I was a teenager, I was at the train station, when I noticed a bunch of photos haphazardly thrown about near ticket station. There had to be at least 50 photos of various sizes and shapes. Some of the photos had blown around and were scattered several feet away in all directions. When I saw this display of someone’s life and family, I felt sad.  I don’t know how they got there, if they were left behind on purpose, or if they were dropped accidentally.  I had hoped their owner hadn’t lost them, but chose to live forever without them.

I only had a minute or so before I had to catch my train. So, after I purchased my ticket, I casually went over the pile to get a closer look. They were old photos, mostly family snapshots. As I stood there for a brief moment, a train went by and ruffled them about ever so slightly. One of the photos flew off the counter and landed right at my feet, face down.  I bent over and picked it up. Written on the back was “Bob, 1^st Grade.”  I turned it over and immediately fell in love with this first grader named Bob. The shy smile on this little boy’s face melted my heart. I could only imagine the care that was taken to pick out the outfit he was wearing for his school photo. From the condition of the photo, plus the style of clothes, it had to be taken in the 60’s or 70’s. There was no way I was going to leave this adorable little boy lying on the floor to trampled over and eventually swept away by some janitor’s big broom. He was just too innocent and sweet for such a terrible fate.

I carried Bob around with me in my wallet for many years. When the photo started to get even more tattered, I had it laminated. For a while, I carried him around in his own special little bag, which I searched high and wide for, so he would remain in good shape. Sometimes, I would share Bob with a friend and let them in on my little secret. (That is how I came to know that carrying a stranger’s first grade photo around is considered weird.) Now, he sits amongst all our other photos on my mantle in his own small frame. He is no longer a stranger to me, but part of my life and considered family. And, every so often, someone will pick up the photo and say, “Oh, how cute? Is that your husband?”

I casually tell them, “Oh no, that’s Bob, in first grade,” and then quickly change the subject.