A Picture Speaks ...

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Another guest post by Dana


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Being that I am somewhat of an information junky, one of the things I really enjoy is my CNN news feed. Often times there are little bits of news that I never hear or read anywhere else. Yesterday I came across THIS article.

Jeff Sheng has spent the last two years on his "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" exhibit - photographic stories of the gay and bisexual men and women who serve in the U.S. military. And because his subjects are forced to keep their sexual orientations under wraps in order to serve, Sheng's photos are portraits without faces.

Think about that for a moment. The men and women who serve this country - who lay their own lives on the line to protect our rights - must hide their faces.

There was a time, not too long ago, when I questioned the wisdom of repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," but seeing Sheng's photography, thinking about what it means, and remembering my own struggles with my sexuality while serving in the military, I cannot justify anything other than a repeal.

I look at these photos and know that these men and women deserve better than what we've given them.

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Listen to the Mustn'ts

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Another guest post by Dana


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Back in January, I did a silly "Thursday 13" post where I listed Thirteen things I'd like to do but will likely let some irrational fear keep me from accomplishing. Some of the things on the list are long-term projects, but some of them required nothing more than a little belief in myself. And yesterday, I found that belief - I submitted a photograph for juried review and (hopefully) public display.

What surprised me was that accomplishing that goal didn't feel the way I expected it to. No, it felt even better! Why??

When I was living with husband we bought a really nice camera for a vacation we were taking. I was not allowed to take photos - husband reviewed my first attempts and decided I had no talent - I was just wasting space on the memory card.

Whenever we took the camera anywhere, he took the photos. He didn't even want me to take the camera if I was attending an event without him. I saved up my pennies and purchased my own camera. Sure, it was a $149 point-and-shoot model, but it was mine! And I started taking pictures, never sharing them with him.

Since leaving him, I started participating in Project 365 - a photo-blogging project where you post a photo each day for a year (if you are interested, you can find it [HERE]) One of the photos I took (the one below) was a perfect fit for the "Black & White" theme of this juried show. I took a deep breath, attached it to an email, and hit send.

Although I'd be thrilled if my photo made the cut for display, it really isn't about that - it's about surrounding myself with people who support my goals - people who give constructive criticism - people who know that if I believe in myself I will believe in them.

It's a good reminder that there will always be people who gain far more pleasure in telling us what we cannot be than they do seeing our joy in becoming what we were meant to be.

“Listen to the mustn'ts, child.
Listen to the don'ts.
Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts.
Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me...
Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”

~ Shel Silverstein

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