7/25/2011

Perfect. Really?


Now, isn't this just beautiful?  This picture may feed a desire in someone to own chickens.  It's so perfect!  
Picture perfect...
and totally not real (you can't see or smell the poop here and let me tell ya, there's a lot of poop!).

This picture is completely staged.  

I hung up only our white laundry (I wash whites along with other colors) on the line (something I rarely do because, although I think it looks so pretty blowing in the breeze, I find it to be a big pain - not to mention that I really don't like stiff clothing or spiders that happen to hide out in the folds of the clothes and later appear in the house...).  

The chickens had to be in the picture, of course, because I wanted a visual of the beautiful (fake) country life that I wanted to be living.  So, I took a handful of grain (not organic - sorry folks, but it's just too expensive) and generously dumped it on the ground right where I wanted my feathered friends to gather.

My son, Jonny, happened to be out there running around anyway, so I had to get him in the picture as well.  I would have changed his clothes (not that Lightning McQueen isn't classy) if I wasn't worried that the chickens would eat all the grain first!  

"Hey Jonny, can you run this way?  Nope, not like that.  Straight through.  click.click.  Okay, do it again.  click.  Perfect!"   
Even HE was staged!

So, there's the truth about that picture.  

Just goes to show that all the lovely pictures we see in bloggyland aren't necessarily spontaneous (which is a bummer because I really like spontaneity).

My dear friend, Rachel, sent me a link to a blog post that talks about how this affects our lives.  

We see flawless photos of gardens, chickens, children, sparkling clean counter tops and rustic wood floors.  We want our gardens, chickens, children, counters, floors to look like theirs.  Or maybe we don't have these things, so we covet.  We become discontent.  We want better, prettier, perfect-er lives.  Just like the lives we see online.

Father, forgive my discontent.

This "perfect" picture should serve as a good reminder, while I blog, to keep it real.
Real life is not always picture perfect, but it's always better.

3 comments:

Aunt Denise said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Heidi, you are such a blessing and inspiration! You make me take a second look at my thoughts and actions. I'm SOOOO enjoying following you and Amber through your "Blogging Journey". Besides that, it's the only way to see the kids more than once a year!!

Heidi said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Thanks Aunt Denise. :) It was really good to see you at the reunion!

Amber said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Aunt Denise you are funny! I wish I could have talked with you more this past weekend! Heidi, I totally agree, I stage so many of my pictures (well all of my food ones for sure!) I even started paying attention in magazines to how things are placed in pictures. I always feel like you keep it real and honest, I love that about you. Blogging is fun, but it is good to remember that we aren't trying to "appear perfect", just taking time to share thoughts & ideas, kinda like a public journal. Keep up the great posts :)

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