I’m going to change my Facebook profile photo in a few days. I thought I’d give you a heads up. I had a picture of the Grand Canyon for a while. I moved it to become the backdrop of my home page. I followed that with a family photo of our clan and updated it to a picture of Ruth and me last summer.
I’d been to the Grand Canyon around the time I started Facebook, so the photo seemed a logical choice. I got a lot of complements when it first went up. I changed to the family photo after a trip to Montana with the crew. My sister-in-law, Kathy, and her husband, Dan, were on the trip and in the picture. That’s where Ruth was thrown from a horse. It was a nice family photo that paid homage to her surviving the fall.
I kept the family photo until last summer. Our family had changed so it made no sense to keep it. Dan had left and divorced Kathy, so he wasn’t a part of the family anymore. More importantly, young Jackson James had been born, so the family photo was obsolete even if Dan never left. Jackson was in, and Dan was out, so the picture needed to change.
I posted a photo of Ruth and me. It’s not a recent one but it flattered us both. It was taken in Las Vegas at Planet Hollywood’s outside bar when we took a trip to meet BZ and Sutton. I had my first heart to heart with Sutton as we walked the strip that evening.
I got a few complements when it went up. I wasn’t purposefully seeking them, they just came. Her smile outshines mine every time, but I’m good with that.
I started contemplating a change last winter. I’d joined a Facebook group for singles in The Villages. I’m single, and live in The Villages at least a part of the year, so I signed up. I don’t do much except read the entries written by the postmaster, Ed. He poses interesting questions for his followers to ponder.
I first spoke of the change with my daughter-in-law, Lindsay. She thought it was a good idea. She cautioned me though. “Don’t pick your best photo, but don’t go with your worst. If the single ladies in the group see it, it’s better to exceed their expectations than have them be disappointed.” I thought that was good advice.
I don’t take good photos. I haven’t in some time. Perhaps ever. My smile comes across as being forced. Ruth just had hers. She brightened every picture. She couldn’t help it. It just happened.
In any case, I’ve chosen one. I needed one for a bio that accompanied one of my stories that was published on Hallard Press’s website in April. Anxiety : Hallard Press, LLC
For me, posting a new photo is a step forward in the grieving process. It doesn’t mean I’m forgetting Ruth, but it does say I need to keep moving forward.