It Has Always Seemed Strange
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Category Archives: quote
Choose to Smile
Day 17, Friday: A favourite photo of yourself and why
A S M I L E
When I first read the prompt my thoughts went into two directions. Do I be vain and post one of my favourite self portraits or be sentimental and show a rare photo of myself with my dad. While searching I realised that I really do smile the same way in my photos and that is lips closed with a slight up turn of the corner of my mouth favouring the left side. You will hardly ever see me smile and showing my teeth. I have small mouth and I have small teeth and I have always felt a bit self conscious about it. Even after having braces and getting them off I still smiled the same way.
Having come from a theatre background where I have had to train myself to walk a different way or hold myself differently for a character, I have tried to train my smile. This means looking in front of a mirror and trying to train myself how to move my lips and hold my jaw so that I can smile showing teeth without looking really weird or that it is very forced. So far I have failed. Or I am just too self conscious with the way I feel I look when I do. I can tell I have my father’s mouth because I often see him in my smile. However I loved his smile and when I try showing my teeth I want to delete the photo immediately from the camera.
A T A L E O F T W O S M I L E S
The two photos above were taken within a minute of each other with a very outdated cell phone last summer, hence the bad grainy quality. However the photo on the left is one of my favourites because it is finally a photo of myself smiling with my teeth that I actually love. I honestly see a lot of my younger sister in this photo and since I love Zoë dearly it probably adds to my ‘why’. It looks so carefree and candid. It made me second guess why I always smile with my lips closed because it looks so natural there. I love the smile too because at the time I was dealing with people who were misdirecting anger towards me against my family and the choices we made.
W H Y I L O V E T H I S P H O T O
Its a reminder to me that though you cannot control the words or actions of others you can choose happiness in your life. If others choose to be upset, angry, bitter, ignorant, selfish, and take things personally you cannot force them to change. I have lost too much of my happiness and the happiness of my family on trying to get acceptance from those toxic people in my life. People can change, but it has to be their choice. So choose your happiness. Choose to Smile!
“If you’re reading this…
Congratulations, you’re alive.
If that’s not something to smile about,
then I don’t know what is.”
― Chad Sugg, Monsters Under Your Head
Congratulations, you’re alive.
If that’s not something to smile about,
then I don’t know what is.”
― Chad Sugg, Monsters Under Your Head
Q: What Makes You Smile?
Quotes for Nomads
Feel free to join in and if you catch this anytime through out the month feel free to just jump right in.
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| Photography by Bonnie Rose Photography © 2013 All Rights Reserved | www.bonnie-rose.co.uk |
Day 4, Saturday: Favorite quote (from a person, from a book, etc) and why you love it
I love finding quotes and I wish I could hold to memory many to be recited in the perfect situation. Perhaps in another life I will be blessed with a photographic memory. One reason I love to read is to come across words that speak to your inner core. Although the prompt was for one, I have three favourite quotes to share with you. These quotes speak to a very personal level with me as a nomad and traveler. The first is spoken by the Narrator in the film adaptation of the book Chocolat.
“But still the clever north wind was not satisfied.
It spoke…of towns yet to be visited,
friends in need yet to be discovered,
battles yet to be fought.”
– Chocolat
The reason I love this quote so much is because it really speaks to me as a Third Culture Kid (TCK) and now as an ATCK. I have people constantly coming in and out of my life with moving so frequently. It has made me feel like I have lived a ‘normal’ person’s lifetime in my mere thirty years. I am always being called to some place new and get itchy feet when I have not traveled to somewhere recently. To me the purpose of life is the experiences and I want to experience all the world has to offer. Those lines spoken by the narrator really tap into that nomadic existence and has been a favourite amongst my other TCK friends.
The second quote is from one of my favourite authors, Tolkien. I have been a huge fan of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings series from a young age. I read from the same books to my kids that my dad used to read from to me. If I ever wanted to get a quote tattooed on my body it would probably be the following.
“Not all those who wander are lost.”
– J.R.R.Tolkien
As a TCK, you can feel that you do not belong anywhere or that you do not have a home. You move so much and wander this world to have roots in one place. However I feel enriched in this truth. Which is why the statement about not being lost hits home to me. To be fair this quote is taken out of a poem which is found in his book, The Fellowship of the Ring, twice and is a lovely poem in its own right. The poem is about the ranger, Aragorn, who later takes his place as King. The first time the poem is mentioned it is in a letter to the Hobbits from Gandalf, before the Hobbits know that Strider is indeed Aragorn.
“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.“
– J.R.R.Tolkein
My last quote to share with you today is from another of my favourite authors, Earnest Hemingway. I would have to say my favourite books of his are A Sun Also Rises and A Moveable Feast. This quote is from the latter. For me it really fits in with how cities, countries, and cultures embed themselves in my life and stay apart of me forever.
“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man,
then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you,
for Paris is a moveable feast.“
– Ernest Hemingway
Q: Have you read any of these books and do you like these quotes too?
Or do you have other quotes that speak to you as a traveler?
Would love to hear your thoughts!
x
Bonnie Rose
*Photography by Bonnie Rose Photography © 2013 All Rights Reserved | www.bonnie-rose.co.uk
Work & Pray
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| Something you do everyday': Pray. I’ve also started reading my Bible daily. I got the cover hand painted when I was living in Thailand. #photoadaymay #photoadaychallange #Bible #pray http://instagr.am/p/ |
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Work.
#maycreative #photoadaychallange
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| Taco salad with organic grass fed beef and homemade guacamole. #palea http://instagr.am/p/ |
”Without new ideas, success can become stale.” – Anthony Bourdain @MoLestationsNoReservations
”Without new ideas, success can become stale.” – Anthony Bourdain @MoLestationsNoReservationsVidal Sassoon, a man of great vision and passion leaves us with a legacy.
Skyline & Self Portrait
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| kyline. Its lovely English weather of grey skies and rain. #photoadaymay #photoadaychallange http://instagr.am/p/ |
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| Self portrait. #maycreative #photoadaymay #photoadaychallange http://instagr.am/p/KHTfCiok1J/
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I am going to do a Sex and the City marathon starting with Season 1 Episode 1 and not stop until I have finished the second film. xx
Peace in May
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| Peace. #photoadaymay #photoadaychallange http://instagr.am/p/ |
In silence the universe answers. In our hearts we find the bravery to go where it is calling us to go. – ‘Make it or Break it’
Something that makes me sad
Photo included is my dad’s last trip to Disneyland with my family. Ronan was two and I was pregnant with Maddox at the time. Pictured here with my sister and our friend Austin.
“Keep trying, hold on, and always, always, always believe in yourself, because if you don’t, then who will, sweetie? so keep your head high, keep your chin up, and most importantly, keep smiling, because life’s a beautiful thing and there’s so much to smile about.” Marilyn Monroe
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| Shoe shopping with my partner. What do you think of these? My current pair has holes in the soles, no good in puddles. http://instagr.am/p/ |
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‘Something that makes me sad’ is not having my dad around anymore.
Not just for me but for my boys as they grow up.  #photoadayapril #photoadaychallange http://instagr.am/p/ |
