An eye for detail...

"Life is not significant details,

illuminated by a flash, fixed forever.

Photographs are."

--Susan Sontag

"Focused on Details"
(Self Portrait #13)

True, but I am fixated on details whether it is in photography OR real life.  "Control Freak" is thine name, with a middle moniker of "Perfectionist".  Type A personality is a kinder, gentler way of putting it.  Details create the big picture, success is in the details could easily be my mantra...ooooohhhhmmmmmm, exhale.  I have a hard time trusting anyone who can't be bothered by details or tells me not to sweat the small stuff.  Fifty-two years is a lot of sweating, I SHOULD easily be a size 2 as a result.  An important detail...I'M NOT!!!

Today I am combining both my self portrait project with my "Project 52", which just happens to have the topic of "detail" this week.  So I thought I would ramble a bit about my natural tendencies, while trying to not go into TOO much detail.  I can feel the sweat coming on.

It's hard not to examine all the details when you are trying to attempt a self-portrait.  The crooked nose, a result of me taking on a window and the window winning.  The wrinkles around the eyes, Clarins anti-aging super hydrating cream, you're not so super. Worry lines between my eyes, soooo much to worry about when you are hijacked by details and your mind races in so many different directions.  Did I mention I have a 35th high school reunion coming up next month?  How did THAT little detail creep up on me?  Which means in preparation I did 770 crunches, logged 20 miles on the treadmill and elliptical, rotated thru my ipod play list 5 times, silently muttered 10 curse words (4 were REALLY good curse words), and gulped 13 bottles of water all at the gym this week....and then I cursed again, just because it was a very detailed and explicit curse word that felt good to repeat.

Then there is the question of what to wear to the reunion.  There are 34 dresses hanging in my closet and 64 pair of shoes (because the Better Half is known to check in here occasionally, I am under estimating the shoe count using the same method I use to under estimate my weight).  The devil isn't in the details, it apparently is in my closet as I have NOTHING TO WEAR!  Do you know the statistical probability of that occurring?  Apparently it's pretty high!  I tried on 6 different possibilities last evening, and got stuck in 1 due to the zipper.  The Better Half received the 1 phone call from me he's been waiting 30 years to get  "Can you come home and help get me out of my dress?" He was home in 10 minutes.  I then had to inform him in detail FOUR times "that is NOT what I meant!".  What is the statistical probability of him misunderstanding me?  99.9%.

"Clothes for my Toes - Detail" 

436 classmates, 2% of which I still hang out with on occasion.  But my best times are with my 1 BFF from high school, 2 bottles of wine, and sharing the details of our lives.  I don't need a reunion for that OR the perfect dress.  The shoes?  I should be able to find at least 3 pairs in my closet for detail sharing outings that would be perfect.

Thirty-five years have passed since high school. Thirty-five years of details.  I don't think I had as many "details" clogging my brain back then.  I also didn't have as many dresses or shoes clogging my closet.  How that many years can pass by so quickly is ONE detail I'd rather not think about too much.  I can feel the stress lines between my eyes tensing up already.

Happy Friday!

--Kathy