Hide and Seek

Photography Edition

Photo by M.T ElGassier on Unsplash

You know how people always say, “If only I could go back and tell my younger self a few things…”? Yeah, well, I’d probably skip the “life lessons” and head straight to this:

Stop. Taking. Faceless. Pictures.

What was that phase?

Hiding behind leaves like a budget Tarzan.

Showing only shadows as if auditioning for a horror movie.

Clicking pictures where the face is conveniently cropped out like some anonymous witness in a crime documentary.

And now, here I am older, allegedly wiser, scrolling through Google Photos in search of a decent professional headshot. And guess what greets me? A blurry hand holding chai. A half-hidden smile behind fairy lights. A dramatic silhouette pretending to be deep.

Wow. Past Me really thought she was serving mystery and depth, when in reality, she was just making Future Me suffer.

So listen carefully, Past Me: Either show your face or don’t bother clicking. Nobody is giving you an award for Most Cryptic Shadow of the Year.

Because right now, I don’t need “Pinterest-worthy.” I need “LinkedIn-appropriate.” And thanks to you, I’m one step away from uploading a shadow as my profile picture.

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