CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

My images are specific memories from my past. As I age, I often reminisce about how easy it was being a child - my mother raised me as a single parent, and this project is in recognition of her strength and amazing parenting of my brother and I. The use of both color and black and white images signify the forgetfulness state of my mind from time to time. Thus, these specific memories from my past are vital to my upbringing.

I carefully arrange each photograph within a setting such as the floor in front of the refrigerator or a study desk in my room. All my re-enactments are self-portraits, with some including my mom and my brother. Taking the time to re-live these moments has been bittersweet - life will never again be as simple and carefree as what I remember. For I know I may never realistically experience these moments again, but they will always serve as a memory in my mind. These photographs mark the transition into adulthood.

3 A.M. Raid

I remember waking up in the middle of the night unusually and just sitting I bed laying in darkness. I knew I had to get up in a couple hours to get ready for school but for some odd reason I was having trouble falling asleep. Most times I would sneak out of bed, tip-toe my way into the kitchen at three a.m. and raid the refrigerator to see what I could get into. I got caught by my mom or brother.

SATURDAY FREEDOM

A big part of my childhood was having a break from studying and homework during the weekends. I could not wait to wake up early Saturday morning to watch cartoons. Usually my mom and brother were still sleep so I had the freedom to watch what I wanted I would take advantage of this “freedom” and do things out of the ordinary such as eat directly out of the cereal box or even have the biggest bowl of cereal I could possibly have. Saturday began to become my favorite day of the week.

BALD FOR A MONTH

My father has been absent in my life since a young age. I don’t recall too many memories of my father except one or two. One of which resulted in me being bald. I would spend time with him on the weekends. One weekend, he was giving me a haircut and he noticed he had messed up on my line up. He thought he could fix it, but he ended up making it worse. He knew if he was to send me home with a messed-up haircut my mom would have been angry. So, he decided to get shaving cream and a razor and cut my entire head bald. My mom was extremely upset and I was not happy with his choice to do this myself. I was bald for about a month before hair started to fully grow back.

VALUES AND TRADITIONS

The dinner table was a place where we caught up on our weekly activities and just talk about life. I grew up in a religious family where it was tradition for us to pray over our food before we eat it. Being taught certain prayers for this moment is a memory I remember vaguely but I can recite a prayer when it comes down to it. I really appreciate the values and traditions my mom instilled in my brother and I for I believe it helped shaped and mold us to be who we are today.

EDUCATION IS KEY

Growing up I wasn’t so much into sports. I didn’t have many hobbies, and like most kids I only saw my friends during school hours. My time at home was mainly spent studying and getting my school work done. My mom was big on education and taught my brother and I how education will get you far in life. As her first child, she made sure that I stayed on the right path and kept my head in my books. I didn’t dread doing work or studying because it was something I enjoyed. At times it could be quite stressful, but I knew in the long run it'll all be worth it.

OBEDIENCE

My mom was the fashionista of the family and was always known to be well put together. When she had my brother and I, she wanted to pass down that trait. Going through old photobooks, my brother and I always were well put together and neat when it came to the clothes we wore. Sunday mornings at church was not only a worship service but a fashion show. My mom always dressed us in a button down, tie, suit and pants. This began to become a tradition for us and sometimes on Easter Sunday we would all dress similarly in terms of color. As I grew older, the rebellious spirit in me would want to argue about if I wanted to wear a suit or not. Of course, I had no choice and did as I was told but ultimately, I got tired of my mom dressing me.