Self-Portrait 2020

 Previously I've posted self-portraits (not particularly artistic or serious ones, but, I suppose, sincere ones). In our Concepts of the Self class (now sadly gone) the students all had to prepare a self-portrait, and I would often prepare my own so that we could share in the process. This was not a staged self-portrait, but rather simply a picture I snapped the other night. My traditional treat for myself on Thursday nights after I leave the Food Shelf is to stop at Al's to get carry-out. As I was waiting for the order I saw my prayer beads and name tag hanging together from the mirror, and, huzzah, another year's self-portrait. I used to tell my students that they should really prepare another self-portrait every five years or so, even if they just then stuck it in the back of their closet, so that they could take a look at them every so often and reflect upon their journey.

In the midst of the pandemic madness some combination of faith and service is keeping me sane, I suppose by keeping me grounded. And, cycling back to the point about creating a series of self-portraits, I suspect it wouldn't have been that many years ago that I would have rolled my eyes at a similar post from someone who cited faith and service as being essential.