Call & Response

First Response: First Dance Class — Cheryl

In Jessica’s first Call for Story, she posed the question, “What is the secret to unlock the story of our lives?”

It’s an intriguing question, but one that’s impossible to answer. Here’s why: A life is not one story; it is a series of stories. Even an 800-page biography will not tell readers THE story of the subject’s life. Perhaps I’m splitting hairs, but I think it’s an important distinction.

Ernest Hemingway is credited with having written a powerful story in six, short words: “Baby shoes for sale. Never worn.” It’s a perfect tale to translate into a photograph. I imagine a black-and-white shot of pristine, white baby shoes, price tag still attached, sitting atop a table with other “treasures” at a yard sale. Somewhere behind the table, either in the frame as a blurry outline or out of the frame completely, I imagine a heartbroken couple trying to put on brave faces and answer prospective buyers’ questions without getting choked up. But is that the whole story?

Who are these people? How long have they been together? How old was their baby when he or she died? How did it happen? What will happen to them? I assume that they’ve not been blessed with other children, since they’re selling the unused shoes. Will their relationship survive this ordeal?

I guess my point is that life is not about just one story. It’s about many stories, and a good one — whether written in words or recorded in a photograph — will make you want to hear more stories.

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My photo is a shot from four-year-old Stella’s first dance class. I don’t know how successful I’ve been in a creating a story with this picture. The storytelling aspect of photography has been hard for me: both in the telling and the interpreting. I’m glad that Jessica chose this Call, though. It’s an important part of photography, and I need to invest some time and effort into it.