Saturday, September 24, 2011

1997 - the "neck" picture

ah, sixteen. such a golden age. an age i had looked forward to for a very long time. i could finally start dating and, equally as important, i could finally get my driver license. 

with a fall birthday, i was still in driver's ed for a few months after the big day, so when the term ended, i was one anxious girl. after hours of primping to make sure i looked just right {and using my favorite lip gloss from my seasonal job at bath and body works}, my mom accompanied me to the department of motor vehicles in west valley city {west siiiiide! - that was for you, ryan.} i had already passed the written and driving tests with flying colors {i even had to parallel park in a stick shift!}. now i just had to read a few black leters on a white screen, sign my name and take a photo. 

my mom gave me some valuable advice before i walked over to the blue wall facing the camera. at 5'8", she had had some bad experiences with the angle of the dmv camera. so, she suggested i keep my chin up so the photo was actually of my face. 

as i stood in front of the camera, she put her forefingers on her chin and motioned for me to lift mine. being a smart alec teenager, i overexaggerated for her sake. "like this?" i replied and stuck my chin extremely far out. i was smiling from my funny joke and the pleasant dmv employee clicked the camera and the shutter opened to capture just that moment. i repositioned and prepared for her to take the real thing, but she was done. i explained that i hadn't been ready and asked for a redo, but there was no use. she wouldn't budge. {what is it with those dmv employees???}. and so, for the next five years, as long as my last name was kinnersley, i proved my identification with my neck. 

eventually, i grew fond of "the neck picture," so when it came time to get a new license, i must have misplaced it. honestly, for a solid day {the day i went back to the dmv}, that license wasn't anywhere in my wallet! i paid the extra $20 or so to get a new license without turning in my current one and it was well worth the fee. 

miraculously, the license appeared after i got home. and i still have it. 

i've considered photographing my neck in my two subsequent license photos {just got my new hampshire license in the mail today!}, but decided that might be overkill. i'll stick with just one mishap.

also in 1997:
 {excited on christmas morning.}
 {with my favorite felt twins. i don't usually wear that much makeup, but this was after a makeover. not really my style??}
 {girl's camp.}
 {homecoming.}
 {laura, tess, candice, me, sarah, emily
megan, meghan, claire}
{emily and maren at 9th grade promotion}

2 comments:

Kim said...

Yes! I love that driver's license photo. I hope everyone keeps looking at that and doesn't scroll down to the other pictures below...ahem. I was trying to tell Ryan's aunt that my awkward teenage years lasted a LONG time. Here's the evidence to which I can direct her. I've been loving these posts! I can't believe that we were ROOMmates for a YEAR, etc, etc, and I never had heard about the day your dad died. But I'm glad I got to know about it through your beautiful and moving writing. You are very talented, my friend. And your other favorite Felt twin thinks the same, even though she's even less likely to post than I am.

Becky said...

Maren: I made your blog--I am so honored! Too bad it had to be that picture. (And also too bad that Kim beat me to making a comment; I am proving her wrong because I started to write this before I read her post.) We are true twins because I was going to say that those were my awkward years as well. (Bangs that don't curl because they are so short they barely cover your gaping forehead. Is that a retainer wire?) I really love your blog--I am always better for reading it. You and Kelli will forever be in my favorite 4th ward memories.