Editor’s Note: May I Be Candid?

EDITOR’S NOTE

By Mare Elium

May I Be Candid?
That Depends

I’m an unapologetic social media fan… Instagram, Facebook, TikTok. I check in several times a day. If I understood Snapchat, I’d be on there, too. 

Social media makes me happy because I block negative people and causes. My feeds, my choice.

 I follow folks I want to see doing things I don’t ordinarily see: Harry Styles dancing in wild costumes, a guy trimming cow’s hooves (surprisingly meditative), a couple restoring a house in Charleston, S.C. 

It’s an eclectic lineup, peppered with celebrities who encourage thousands of people to see what they’re up to. On Instagram, I follow the singer Lizzo, a chicken hatchery, the Princess of Wales and a dog daycare in Virginia. My TikTok is all over the place. Lately, I’ve been watching a guy crack open geodes. Family, friends and organizations I care about are part of my social media circles, too, although their clothes aren’t as interesting as Harry Styles’ and I’ve never seen one of them trim a hoof.

Their common thread is a desire to put their best face forward, literally and figuratively. I listened to a discussion recently about how most people don’t like candid photos of themselves, preferring an edited version of their faces and lives. Who wouldn’t? If all it takes is a decent photo on Facebook to reframe an event, I’m all in. 

But while I don’t actively encourage candid photos of myself, I tolerate them for the greater good of reality. Candids capture messy moments, the this-is-what-it-was-really-like times of our lives.

My late Mom was a ton of fun, wildly unconventional. But she didn’t like photos of herself, saying she didn’t take a good picture. We have too-few photos of her in all of her joyful, up-for-anything moments. We don’t make that mistake with Dad, now 89. He’s in lots of photos, some flattering, some not.

While I prefer photos of me that are decent enough for social media feeds, I’m always game for a photo shoot. I happily relinquish editorial control of my image for a moment so my kids and grandson can see the relatively real me when I’m no longer around. I say “relatively” because kind photographers know when to hit “delete.”

Here’s a challenge: When you’re out this summer and someone asks for a photo, say yes. Someone, years from now, will be glad you did.

In between dodging (or posing for) photos, I hope you find time to enjoy this summer season, both here in lovely Northeast Ohio and in other nearby spots. Use our summer-themed stories and events in our May/June issue to get started. We also bring you a story about foster parenting and why it can be a good fit for people over 50 with a place to land for a child who needs a home.

I’m putting my money where my mouth is and using a candid photo for my editor’s note. It was taken earlier this month when I helped my brother move 10,000 bees into his beehive. Not a great picture, I’d say bee-quality, but it captures a terrific time.

Marie