Me and My Mom, 1972
I’ve never seen this photograph until a few days ago.
While I was in So Cal visiting family I asked my mom if I can borrow her old negs so that I can scan, digitize and then share them. Being the slacker that I am, it will and has taken me awhile to get them all done but seeing some of them already puts my nostalgia sensors on hyper drive. You see there’s not one photograph of me as an infant. Not one. This photograph is probably one of the earliest photos of me. I take it as being the youngest of 7 kids and after the 5-6th one my parents probably felt no desire to use up their hard earned cash to buy film & get it processed. Heck I don’t even think they owned a camera when we lived in the Philippines. You see they had plans for all of us – to move to the United States.
I often wonder what would have been if our family stayed in the motherland. I suspect we’d have a simpler, quieter and most likely a harder life. Can you imagine how much guts it took for my parents to move our entire family of 7 kids to a foreign land? Growing up I didn’t appreciate or see the magnitude of this decision. Heck I was too caught up with myself as any kid or teenager would be. But as an adult I can only thank my parents for giving us what we have today.
I’ve come to ask myself this question upon seeing this photograph – If I was in the same situation as my parents would I make the same bold move? Would I take the chance for a new life? Probably but I can see many forces not making me want to change my/our lives drastically. It’s just a different world now, one I fear will only get worse….ok better stop now before I go to the dark side.
Mom & Pops, thank you thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Photo taken with my mom’s Kodak Instamatic 104 and Gold film.
My favorite photograph of all time.
Regarding taking a chance for a new life, is it possible that living the life you currently live makes it all the more difficult for you to envision uprooting a family and moving to a foreign country? The life you live now is convenient and rather easy, especially compared to having a family of 7 children in the Philippines back in the 70s. Somehow, I have a feeling that if you had been there and seen the opportunity afforded to your children in another country, you would have gotten your ass up and moved to a foreign land for that. The power of “what might be,” especially when it has to do with your children, is a strong force and makes parents do whatever they think would be best.
Besides that whole spiel, glad you could find and scan these photos of your family. I’m sure it’s appreciated by the rest of your pamilya as well.
reese March 30th, 2011 at 9:08 amwow, it’s a wonderful photo. love the colors and the over all feeling of it… the car really adds to that retro mood!
minimodi April 4th, 2011 at 3:25 amawesome! love old photographs!
dylan April 5th, 2011 at 4:05 pmi’ve marveled at the guts it took my parents to do the same thing. it’s definitely emboldened me whenever i’ve gotten remotely sissy. 🙂
yuri April 12th, 2011 at 4:14 pmYou were SOOOOOO CUTE! I see you started that “camera face” pretty early on…
Betty April 15th, 2011 at 9:21 amThanks ya’ll..
Betty…”were” cute? I’m not anymore? :).
John April 15th, 2011 at 10:21 amHa ha ha! Not true. Still cute! But what the HECK is that yellow thing you’re holding?????
Betty April 19th, 2011 at 1:52 pmThis is so adorable…love your mom’s outfit and your strangely formal shoes. I agree with Reese, when your life is already good, you move to another country more purely for adventure or boredom. It’s not the same as moving for a life quality improvement, when you’re motivated by the idea that anything might be better than where you are now.
Or you could be like my parents and you know, decide to move sort of randomly.
Nancy April 22nd, 2011 at 8:30 amLovely post. Just discovered your blog today! As a first generation immigrant also from the Philippines, I share your thoughts. I was fresh out of college & still a dependent when my parents decided to immigrate. I was old enough to experience the challenges of a new life in a foreign land but the decision to uproot the only life they/we’ve ever known was still my parents’ to make and I too think that was mighty brave of them. Cheers!
Rica May 19th, 2011 at 1:32 pm