People use public spaces as their own diaries. The profound words I have found scribbled on bathroom stall doors, stall walls, and mirror could fill their own book of Bathroom Proverbs.
Some of the best ones I've found were :
"Rock and roll is dead but that doesn't mean we can't dance with the ghost" scrawled across a mirror in the bathroom of a music venue in marker.
"God is a bully" written in minuscule handwriting on the back wall next to the toilet in a bookstore. The small writing made me feel like that person had truly felt bullied and beaten by God.
"J.P + me can never be because love could never save us" messily scribbled in lipstick on a bathroom wall tile in a middle school. I don't know how "in love" J.P and "me" were but it sounded profound. That kid is going places.
My favorite has to be one that I found in the bathroom of a restaurant.
"THE MAN I LOVE CAN ONLY LOVE SOMEONE ELSE"
It was inscribed across the inside of the bathroom stall door in bold, black ink. It was large enough to take up the entire space. The sentence was in all caps. It felt like this person was screaming out their pain via their pen and wanted every user of that stall to feel it too. I did.
I don't know who that person was or why the man they love can only love someone else or what that means exactly but I don't think I had to. The emotion was felt and my curiosity peaked. This could make for a good story.
There is a whole following of mesmerized bathroom graffiti lovers like myself as is shown on the website The Graffiti Project.
I'm a complete T.V. junkie. I have a show for every day of the week (at least) and when I can't catch it on T.V. I watch it online right after it airs. I get the shakes if I don't see my show right away. Okay I'm exaggerating. Or maybe I'm just saying that to dodge any judgment. Anyway.
I love British television. The shows are insanely entertaining for me and far more graphic than a basic cable show would be here in the U.S. One of my favorite Brit shows is Being Human, a sci-fi comedy/drama.
Via BBC America
Now there is a U.S. counterpart to this show but for the sake of my sanity we will pretend it never was green lit into existence. Being Human centers around three supernatural creatures. They all live in an apartment together and are trying to "be human". Hilarity and drama ensues.
First there is Mitchell (right of picture), a vampire who died during World War I. After a long life of killing humans and embracing his evil side he decides to stop drinking blood and be "human". Then there's his best friend George (left of picture), a werewolf, who has been turned from human to beast recently. He only becomes a werewolf one night a month so he spends the rest of his days trying to live a relatively quiet life. And then there's Mitchell and George's other best friend (and eventual love of Mitchell's life) Annie (middle of picture). She's a ghost who was killed by her fiancee and now spends her days making tea and trying to figure out how to pass on to the other side.
The thing about this show is the writing is so well done for the characters. The story lines weren't always the strongest (they tend to occasionally only make sense when its convenient for a particular episode) but the characters were so strong and realistic I couldn't help but watch. I loved the idea of three supernatural creatures trying to be human and frankly they were able to convey some of the most realistic moments I've had in my life more so than a show about humans.
Take this scene for example.
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I've been there. Oh Mitchell and George how I've been there. I think most people can relate to how something so mundane and simple getting changed can lead to a breakdown. It's hilarious and relatable and scenes like this is what kept me tuning in, not the supernatural element.
Now times have changed since this scene. Spoiler alert but...all three of them die. Annie more so moves on to the other side but you get the idea. So the show has ended. It's over.
Nope. Being Human did something that a lot of British shows do but I think they did it in a brilliant way. They replaced the cast with all new characters. They did this slowly. First they introduced a new werewolf, Tom in the season before they started killing off the core three. He was a supporting character who gradually worked his way up to being a main one. Then came Hal.
Mitchell is arguably the lead in the show. He has the most dramatic story lines, the most screen time, and well he's easy on the eyes. When he died I was thrown. I made plans to boycott the show and give up. What the hell was the point without Mitchell. But then they introduced Hal. In order to introduce a brand new character no one knows to replace a fan favorite it has to be done well and the character has to be great. I applaud Being Human for doing just that and introducing a new leading vampire that I was excited about and grew to love.
The first time we are introduced to Hal is in this scene.
I was immediately intrigued. He was scary. He seemed to have an interesting backstory. As the season went on I found him to also be a hilarious and a unique character. Hal was the complete opposite of Mitchell. Mitchell was laid back and "cool" while Hal was uptight, high strung, and OCD. He is also one of the oldest vampires alive dying in the 1500s. However, both Hal and Mitchell are trying to sustain from drinking human blood. I was hooked yet again.
Now the way they integrated the new cast was interesting. First they killed off Mitchell and George. Tom and Hal were introduced to be the new main characters along with Annie. It became this (Hal, Annie, Tom).
Via BBC America
It was a new dynamic and a new chemistry in the group. It wasn't the same as Mitchell and George and I missed them dearly but I was getting used to this new group. Until...Annie left. Now when Annie left I was so upset. She had been one of my favorite characters in the show for the longest time. Even with Tom and Hal coming in it still felt like Being Human because of that last familiar face. I was skeptical yet again. But they introduced a new character, Alex.
She was a human who took a liking to Hal. Sadly, she shouldn't have tried to make a vampire her boyfriend (that never does work out does it?) because she ends up getting killed (I won't say how) and becomes...you guessed it. A ghost. I liked Alex. She was funny and sarcastic and completely different from Annie who had a mothering nature. But I wasn't running away from the new ghost in town. The end of the fourth season officially had the original three departing and the new three of Hal, Tom, and Alex taking reign.
So now the show looks like this.
Via BBC America
It was a slow change. One that could have easily failed. But the writing for these new characters, although different, was just as engaging as the old characters. I'm still in love with Being Human for their characters which is a feat I thought could not happen.
Now we have moments like this.
Different dynamic but still I love them. I applaud the writing on this show for being able to take away the main characters, make me weep for them and want them back, and then have me embrace and love a whole new cast of characters. That's writing at it's finest.
I cannot take a good picture to save my life. Every time I try the picture is fuzzy, out of focus, or just plain bad. I dread taking pictures on vacation because I'll remember more from my memory than trying to figure out where I was when I captured that squiggle of light.
I hate when strangers ask me to take their picture for them. I can spot it minutes before it happens and I always try to avoid it. The exclamation over whatever scenery they are seeing. The fumble through the bag for the camera. The predator-like gaze they give as their eyes scan the premises and land on...me. "Excuse me could you take our picture?" I consider running away. I consider taking their camera, throwing it, and then running away. I consider pretending to not speak english and then running away. Or just staring at them until they decide I'm too insane to handle their precious camera and then running away. Running away is essential to every escape plan I conjure. But no. I smile big and say "Sure!". And then it begins.
They always start by handing over the camera and telling me "Just press the button right here at the top". Oh sir and/or ma'am all the instructions in the world couldn't save you from the atrocious picture I'm about to take. They pose and smile. I press the button (as per instructed really what could go wrong?) and capture the image that will become a visual memory for life. They quickly rush over to see the result and..."Oh would you mind taking it again? Our faces are blurry". Oh of course strangers. They hustle back into position and I take the picture again. They come back and...the look of confusion on their faces is comical but also mortifying for me.
I can see their thought process clearly. We told her to just push the button. Did she misunderstand? She looked capable of handling this...she seemed mentally sound. But maybe not...so where is her caretaker? The whole time I maintain my happy face as they politely thank me and then go scoping for another photographer. One who can follow simple instructions. It doesn't matter what they tell me or how simple the camera is I WILL NEVER TAKE A GOOD PICTURE. EVER. Not for strangers, not for friends, not for my family, not for my self, not for that cat, not for the serial killer who says take a picture or I will kill you. I will die.
I know you're thinking come on it can't be that bad. Oh hardy har.
Exhibit A.
Photo credit me
Exhibit B
Photo credit me
I don't know what these things are. I have no clue where I was or why I took them. Obviously it was something important enough for me to want to take a picture but I will never know.
So because of my lack of photography skills I admire people who can take pictures. It amazes me. One photographer in particular I really love is Sion Fullana. He does mainly street photography from his iPhone. Obviously this blew my photography challenged brain.
Some examples are
Photo credit Sion Fullana
Photo credit Sion Fullana
Photo credit Sion Fullana
Photo credit Sion Fullana
I wish I had half the photography talent this man has. His pictures are flawless.
Even though I can't take pictures I do like to look at them. But that's where photography and I part ways. Please keep this in mind when you think about asking me to take your pictures strangers. I beg of you.
