My Story

I witness that something disturbing happens to children when they move to the U.S. They begin to say “I am ugly”. “I am not important”. Challenging this sentiment is my mission in life.

[flo_gallery gallery_type=”type_visible_nearby” ids=”775,774,773,777,772,776″ ]

For the past ten years I have placed cameras in the hands of children and asked them to dig deep, to photograph what is most important in their lives. I have asked them to think carefully and consider the question: Who am I?   What experiences have built me? What makes me proud?

I have worked in great part with children who flee war and persecution, who come to America with their mothers and siblings and a precious few with their entire family, to feel safe. To start again. To go to school. To build a life. Over the years I began to notice that these bright children in their first months in the U.S. love to take pictures of themselves. The fun of it sweeps great smiles across their faces. They pass their pictures around and exclaim “How beautiful I am!” “My eyes are so big!” ” My arms, so strong!” “Teacher, teacher, may we show my picture?”

Eventually and almost universally, the enthusiasm fades, covered by hasty and bitter comments about flaws in their physiognomy, tears in their clothing. ” I am so ugly” they declare as they crumple their photos. “Oh no, you cannot show my picture!” “I will rip it” “I am horrible”.

These kids, some of whom remember waking with smoke in their nostrils, rooftops aflame. They tell of tearing barefoot down dirt roads, dragging sister or brother by a tiny hand. These kids come here filled with relief and pride, hope and joy, and quickly learn that despite what they feel, in America we must not feel proud and confident. We must decry the beauty of our faces. We must point out our flaws. We must declare how inferior our efforts are. This is what is socially acceptable here.

We named our little arts organization My Story  to remind ourselves and our students that despite cultural pressure to the contrary, our stories are vital. Each of our lives stitched together makes up the quilt of human history. No patch is less than another, no patch less important. I believe that it is critical to battle the building crescendo of self loathing in our culture. It is artificial and terribly sad. We must give ourselves permission to be proud of ourselves, to be thrilled by our beautiful faces and to indulge in the sharing of our fascinating stories. Each of us is an essential part of the great history of this world.

I am most proud of co-founding My Story and all the young people whose stories I have heard and seen. I am equally proud of the founding of  27 Wonders Photography to capture that which is vital and idiosyncratic to each couple the world over in love, commitment and marriage. We are, each of us beautiful. Each of us interesting. Each of us a wonder.