Eclipsed

Double Exposure

     Identity is the defining characteristics that differentiate one person from another, however; the mirrored reflections of self are colored by the negative opinions of other people that distort reality creating a double exposure. A dual image is the result of one image or picture that is put on top of another. The first image is clear and reflects the perception of true self. The second image is a fuzzy distorted interpretation of one’s self when it is viewed through a false label. A double exposure occurs as the two images merge resulting in a blended effect of fact and fiction. I have learned that the surface level of me at times was the part of my identity that was affected by the social labels of my youth. It is the surface level of self, which seeks acceptance from others. Identity has layers that are influenced by language and time. The outer layer of Identity is often determined by social acceptance. The deeper self is the truer self that at times must speak an internal dialog of personal acceptance because it is meshed or intertwined with the labeling process and is eclipsed by a false label. When the external sound of the world become to loud I often find comfort and peace just being still and listening to the sound of my own breath, knowing I Am.

Lori Weidenbacher