Photo Essay

       These photos were taken to acknowledge and represent just a snapshot of the personalities of the many people from countless backgrounds and ethnicities that are around us everyday.

        All throughout our lives until this point, we have all gone about each day passing by and interacting with so many people, no matter how briefly. It's definitely not possible to commit each and every one of them to memory, and it's especially easy to forget just how unique each individual is. The girl you pass by every day on your way to your first period class may be so much more interesting than you think. It's impossible to get to know everybody, and because of the busy way of life that has come to become the norm, people tend to make initial judgments about others based solely on what they see on the outside. However, each individual has a unique life story and realm of experience, but it's often easy to forget this. Some people may feel that the way that others carry themselves can tell a lot about them, but it's just not enough. The way we showcase ourselves in public often strays away from what we are really like. Everybody wants to make themselves look as if they are at their best all of the time, which is why it is really hard to let your guard down.

       I feel that sometimes we should just press pause on our lives and get to know a little more about the people we often ignore all around us. It pains me sometimes to see people get judged so quickly on their physical appearance rather than the content of their character. Everyone, including myself, is guilty of this, but what we should not do is let it cloud our opinion of the person. By carrying out the project of interviewing teachers, students and even the neighbors that I just say hi to in passing or don't know at all, I have gotten a taste of the many perspectives that are out there. I've learned so much about each person just by asking a few simple questions. I also think that we all can learn so much from just getting to know about the experiences of others. My goal for this photo essay is for it to inspire people to get past their initial judgments of those around them and gain a sense of understanding of different perspectives so they can learn to appreciate and become considerate of others. They may think they know the following people, or they may have never met them, but I hope that they can realize that there is always more to a person than what meets the eye. ~ ~ ~

Flora (Flo)

If you could redo one thing in your life, what would it be?

That's a good question. Hmm...nothing. I wouldn't redo anything, because if I redid something, I wouldn't be here at the point I'm at now. It would be different. So, nothing.

Do you have a favorite childhood memory?

That's a good one. I would say, hanging out with my grandma. She would take us and give us 5 cents, take us to the 5 or 10 store and you stand there and you look at everything and she's like, "You can only get one thing, now. You understand me? Think about it!" There was candy, two-for-a penny candy and other things.

If you could save one thing from a fire, what would it be?

Myself! It would be myself, well yeah! Wouldn't you save yourself? Okay, I have to think about that because my kids are grown, so I would save myself. And I would yell to my husband, "You better c'mon!"

Can you tell me a story of a very difficult time in your life, and how you overcame it?

When I moved here to Oregon, because my husband had to transfer to three different places, and we picked two because we knew we had family there, and I closed my eyes and I said, "Ok, this one." And I'm like, "Oregon? We're not gonna be in Oregon," and here I am. So, if I had to make that choice again, I would have kept my eyes wide open, but guess what? I wouldn't have met you beautiful girls. See what I'm saying? Everything happens for a reason.

Robin

If you could redo one thing in your life, what would it be?

I would have traveled more at a younger age.

What was your first thought when you woke up this morning?

I have a lot of essays to correct! I need to get to school.

If you could save one thing from a fire, what would it be?

My cat.

If you had to be trapped in a TV show for a month, what would you choose and why?

House of Cards, because I love politics.

 Nick

Can you tell me a story of a very difficult time in your life, and how you overcame it?

Oh boy, that's a good question. A really tough time was when my parents split up. I would have been in middle school, and the process was just really tough to know that I wasn't going to be around my dad for pretty much the rest of my life. Overcoming that obstacle, that was a multi-year process. Just talking it out with different people, and understanding that I could share my feelings of how I was going through that was probably what helped the most.

What kind of sickness have you lied about so you wouldn't have to go to school or work?

That's a great question! I used to do this in grade school, in middle school even, all the time. I would tell my mom that my ear hurt, and it's a really hard thing to identify if that's a truthful thing or not. You know, I have an ear infection or maybe this ear ache and I really can't concentrate because I have a headache. That was my go-to when I was younger for sure. I was so bad about it and I hope my kids don't do it!

What was the last picture you took on your phone?

The last picture I took on my phone was just yesterday. My two kids were playing. They were pretending to be doctors, and so I took some pictures of that, and I sent it to my wife. I just thought it was a funny thing to do, and so yeah, that was the last picture.

What is your favorite word, and what does it mean?

My favorite word.... It would have to be awesome. Awesome is my favorite word. It means to just be great, and I love it when students are awesome, and I love it when people are being awesome with each other because good things are happening.

Anna

If you had to be trapped in a TV show for a month, what would it be and why?

Which TV show? Grey's Anatomy, because I like that show and everybody in it.

What's a surprising talent that you have that not many people know about?

A secret talent? It's not actually a talent, but my thumb is double-jointed.

Do you have a favorite childhood memory?

Probably going to either going to Hawaii or Lake Shasta with my family.

What kind of sickness have you lied about so you wouldn't have to go to school?

Last time I lied about a sickness was like in fourth grade, and I think I just said that my stomach hurt, and they believed me, so I went home.

Kari

What is your profession and how did you get the idea to pick that job?

I am still an optometrist, but last fall I decided to stay home with the kids, but I was in clinical practice for 11 years before that. I was actually really interested in accounting in high school, and I started that in college and did that for two and a half years (my major). I was always kind of interested in optometry, but I just thought, "Oh, it's so much school, too stressful", and I didn't really know how to go about it, and then I just discovered I didn't love accounting as much as I thought I would. I liked the bookkeeping part because I'm a very organized person, but accounting isn't really that, it's a lot different than that, so I realized I didn't really love it as much as I thought I did, and then I was like, "You know what? I'm really still interested in optometry." It worked out really well for a while, and I liked the profession, but with three young children and a working husband, it was just too much so I decided to stay home at least for a little while.

If you could save one thing from a fire, what would it be?

I think, just special mementos that are irreplaceable, you know, photos of the kids when they were little, although in this technological age you can often replace them, like with Shutterfly or whatever, or wedding rings, or just mementos from children or artwork from children. All the other things are insignificant. Of course, the children obviously, they would be number one. But if it's a thing thing and not a person, then definitely the things that can't be replaced.

Do you have a favorite childhood memory?

So I grew up on a farm, a big farm in the Midwest in North Dakota. So our life was very free, we just went outside and played, and it wasn't like the city or suburb where you have to be so cautious about cars and all of that, it was just a free and open farm. So, I really enjoyed that part, like I would just go exploring around the farm. You could go on these long walks on these dirt roads, and there was wildflowers, and as kids we would go play in the ponds and get turtles and stuff. It sounds kind of old-fashioned, but that was really fun. And then, just our family, I have four brothers and sisters, there's five of us, and so holidays were really fun, especially Christmas. It was just like this big festive thing, you know, we made a bunch of good food and played a lot of games, and those were really, really fun memories. It was our holidays. That's why I encourage my kids to play outside a lot. And Aaron (husband) is from Montana, so he kind of had the same life. We met here in Oregon, that's why we are both here, but it's interesting because when they (kids) are so young, you kind of have to be careful too, because sometimes other people don't understand, and believe that we're bad parents. You're like, "I just want them to be free", but you still have to be cautious because you want them to be safe, so we kind of try to let them have independence as long as they show responsibility.

You find out that your beautiful one-year-old child is a mix-up and not yours. Would you want to exchange the child for your own or would you want to keep the child?

I would definitely keep the child, definitely, because at that point you're that child's mother, they're your child, it doesn't matter if it's biological or not. You've formed a connection and all of that. If my other child is somewhere else, that would be interesting. I would want to explore that, and at least meet them and meet those parents, and maybe we can have an open relationship with being able to visit and be in each others' lives, but I think that's tricky, I'd have to think about it. I think that it would be really hard to give away a child after you've raised it for a year. We actually talked about adoption for a long time, so this is a little bit of a different situation, but we have always been kind of interested in it. I don't know if we will, but having a child that's not biologically yours doesn't make you love them any less.

Rei

Can you tell me a story of a very difficult time in your life, and how you overcame it?

To decide to come here. My school back in Japan doesn't take credit from here, so I have to redo my day, so it was kind of a hard decision to come here. But I do think it was a good choice.

If you could save one thing from a fire, what would it be?

My.......phone?

What was the last picture you took on your phone?

I don't know what it was.......I don't remember!

Do you have a favorite childhood memory?

Back in Japan, we have a summer festival. There's a big car thing, like a festival car, and there's a drum with a kind of ring on it, and we play and walk around the neighborhood. I always do that every year and did that when I was in elementary school and when I was a child. It was really fun. 

Prasanna

If you could redo one thing in your life, what would it be?

I don't think I would go back and redo anything in my life. From whatever I have done, I think I learned a lot from that, and it changed me to who I am today, so there's nothing I would go back and redo.

What is a surprising talent that you have that not many people know about?

I'm very creative, and most of the people don't know that. It's mostly art, and it's usually drawing. I do painting too, but not like a professional painter.

If you could save one thing from a fire, what would it be?

Probably my kids' artwork. Nothing else!

What was your first thought when you woke up this morning?

It's going to be a very nice day, and a relaxing day [Mother's Day] that I don't have to worry about other things. Both my husband and kids, they went skiing and I thought, "Okay, I got the rest of my day which I can do whatever I want with".

Nicole

(On left)

What was the last picture you took on your phone?

Let's see.....Oh, it was actually a pain relief gel to share with a friend who has an injury. 

What is your favorite word, and what does it mean?

I don't know.....probably....hello or welcome, because I like to entertain a lot. We have lots of friends that we like to welcome into our home. 

What's a surprising talent that you have that not many people know about?

Oh my gosh....(asks daughter) do I have a talent? Daughter: Playing on your phone! Nicole: I don't play any musical instruments, I don't sing....I like to dance. People probably wouldn't know that I like to dance. It's just dancing, like club dancing! That's about it.

If you had to be trapped in a TV show for a month, what would it be and why?

(daughter whispers to her) A TV show would have to be a comedy, and a silly comedy, because I like silly comedies, like Adam Sandler silly comedies, so that would be some kind of a comedy.

Kevin

Do you have a favorite childhood memory?

That's probably the day that we came back to the United States from when we lived in England for 4 years, and I was there as a child, so I was eight or nine when we came back. I was very happy to come back and see my friends. My dad was in the military so we traveled a lot. 

What was your first thought when you woke up this morning?

My first thought when I woke up this morning was, "I really don't feel like going to work".

What kind of sickness have you lied about so you wouldn't have to go to school or work?

Probably the worse thing is, I don't really know if I've ever lied about it, but I've had headaches before that I've stayed home for, which I probably could have gone to work for.

Can you tell me a story of a very difficult time in your life, and how you overcame it?

After I married my wife Denise, and we'd been together for about four years, we wanted to have our first baby, and we tried for five years and it wasn't working, and we had gotten to the point where we thought that we were just not going to have any kids. We decided to do one last thing, and we decided to go see a fertility specialist, so we went through a very painful, excruciating procedure, well for my wife and for me, but it was very emotional to through IVF, and now we have our daughter. So that was a very tough time, because something we both wanted we weren't sure was going to happen, but a little bit of time, some uncomfortable situations, and some with some money of course, we were able to overcome it.