WAG #17 Someone I Once Knew

My mother mailed a few pictures to me the other day. It showed a collection of faces as varied as the activities depicted.

The first was a blonde child doing a backflip. It was an intense photo; the face firm with concentration, the grass bright green, the feet were a blur, moving faster than the camera could capture.

Another photo showed a group of young teenagers dressed in theatrical costumes, obviously The Famous Four singing joyously as they “tramped” down the Yellow Brick Road, which consisted of yellow construction paper spray-glued onto muslin.

The last four images were from a graduation; a young woman receiving her diploma; my mom posing proudly as the graduate mugged behind the precious document thrust forward at arm’s length; the last two involved a mortarboard in the air, although the second of that series also involved, nay featured, a tree and a long stick.

With a smile, I flipped through the photos over and over, absorbing the events enjoyed by people I have been out of touch with a long time – well before we moved so far away. I set the small stack on the coffee table as my husband and I were watching TV, and I tried to get back into the program. My thoughts kept returning to the significance of the pictures.

I remembered having that kind of energy, that same drive, enthusiasm and hope. Where had it gone? When had I changed? With a heavy sigh, I sat back, pushing my shoulders into the sofa cushion, seeking comfort from its support.

My husband glanced between me and the table pensively and finally took up the stack of 4x6 prints. He flipped through them with less familiarity than I had.

“Wizard of Oz, huh?” he said with mild surprise. “I didn’t know you played the Cowardly Lion.”

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“WAG #17: The One That Got Away” From your own point of view (or the point of view of a stranger you observe) write a short scene about someone from the past who comes into the picture back suddenly. It can be an old boyfriend/girlfriend, a childhood friend, or anyone you imagine! haven’t seen for many years. It can be a sweet reunion, or a total disaster! It’s up to you.