The evolution of my hair
- Caitlin Watkins
- Jan 23, 2017
- 2 min read
For anyone who knows me, you know how much I love hanging on to little things that remind me of memories made. This could be the ticket stub for a movie midnight premiere, a note written and passed in class back in middle school, or the corsage from my 12th grade prom date. But on top of these, it means pictures. I love taking pictures. And not just the staged ones - I love taking pictures of my friends doing funny things or of amazing places that I've visited. This hobby, however, is not new. In fact it probably began when I got my first camera in 4th grade to take on the school field trip to Raleigh. My best friend and I used up the whole roll of film, and I was hooked.
Since then, that same best friend and I have easily taken thousands (yes, thousands) of pictures together. We have seen each other through braces and boyfriends and every possible hairstyle under the sun. And we have pictures of all of it.
So last night, out of the blue, she texted me "SURPRISE" and sent me one of the most embarrassing pictures that I have ever been photographed in in my entire life. That was followed by photo after photo of selfies, road trips, messages, and all the other hilarious things that middle schoolers did back in 2007. I was cracking up. What were we thinking - taking our boyfriends (who weren't friends) on a joint birthday picnic - why did I think my hair looked good like that - who decided putting a water bottle under your hair was going to be a good fad?? These are questions that I will never know the answer to, but honestly, I'm not sorry that we thought we did.
I began to look through old photos of my own. I have every picture I've ever taken stored and organized on my computer, and last night I looked at looked at every single one of them. I was reminded of why I have always loved documenting the things that happen in my life, instead of just committing them to memory. I spent hours in my room remembering days that I hadn't thought about in years, and the people that went along with them. I was reminded of how lucky I am to have so many great memories to look back on and the means to do it so easily. I have been blessed with such wonderful people and opportunities in my life, and I love that last night I got to relive all of them once again.
My best friend and I may have been the weirdest 13-year-olds (and 17-year-olds... ok let's be honest, and 21-year-olds) in the world, but I wouldn't trade any of it. These pictures that we share let us look back through the window into the beginning of our friendship and the bumpy but joyous road it took to today. I am one of the lucky ones. Not everyone can say that their best friend at nearly age 22 is the same one as when they were 8, but I can, and for that, I am always grateful.
And so, for your viewing pleasure, some of our highlights.
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