Wednesday - Duck!

[ninanevermore]

Today on the drive into work I was thinking that sometimes I am surprised when I look in the mirror and see the face of a woman and not a rubber ducky.

I like the duck's face better. It is more a reflection of me than my real face. My real face is forgettable, invisible, average. It doesn't match what's going on in my head at all.

The duck is bright yellow; everyone notices something that bright. It matches my mind -- bright and strange and more than a little frivolous and silly.

I once saw a grave marker that had no name on it, just a date and an engraved picture of a flamingo. I am going to make it known that when I die, I want a picture of a rubber ducky engraved on my headstone. If there's no money left over to put my name on it after that, it doesn't matter. No one will remember my name anyway.

But I want them to remember my duck.

Comments

[niecystrips.livejournal.com]

I'll always remmeber your duck.

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

Aw, Thanks, Niecy! ^_^

[agsaunders.livejournal.com]

you must really like rubber duckies. i've been pretty well aware that neither my face nor my body language gives an accurate portrayal of what's actually on my mind neither.

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

Actually, the duck was kind of an accident. It's cropped from a photo of my son when he was 5 months old:



I was bathing him in the kitchen sink with the sunlight coming through the window, which made the average little yellow duck glow with such a warmth that I loved the picture in spite of the fact that my son was not looking at the camera (he was, in fact, looking at his duck).

I needed an icon, a face for my persona in cyberspace. Since I was so fond of the picture, I used a little bit of it. The duck became me, and slowly I have become the duck.

I don't collect ducks or anything. I just happen to be one now.

[coupesetique.livejournal.com]

I love this picture.

[anne-nahm.livejournal.com]

Your grave could always say, "I'm a dead duck". People would probably remember that.

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

A picture speaks a thousand words. Perhaps the duck could have X's instead of eyes to convey the same message

[coupesetique.livejournal.com]

If he had X's over his eyes, he'd have to have a jug of moonshine with XXXX on it.

Wouldn't you want a picture of a duck and a jug of moonshine on your tombstone?

If you decide against doing that or choosing the Virgin Mother, I know that they can put an 18-wheeler instead. There's a guy that's in the mausoleum not far away from my mother's plot that has an 18-wheeler and the words "Cajun Wine-O" on his tombstone thingie. Talk about classy.

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

I think the 18-wheeler is classy; it's not high classy, but it's working classy (which is still a type of class). If it reflects the person in the urn, then so be it. You notice it and remember it after you've walked away. I bet he was the type of person who would appreciate that. :)

[coupesetique.livejournal.com]

You're absolutely right.

I have no recollection of what his name was, but I remember that 18-Wheeler and "Cajun-Wine-O" on his headstone. Anyone with that probably had a charismatic personality. :-)

I'd remember your name, but if the duck is what you'd like to be remembered for, you should make the request. :-)

[clark-inda-dark.livejournal.com]

People probably see nature scenes when they think of me. lol.

I do like your duck though because it does leave a mark in the mind. It's fun to have those little trademarks to each of us. :)

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

You mean, there's more to you than nature photos? Of course there is. But since the photos are so wonderful, it's good to be remembered for something beautiful, isn't it?

For the story behind the duck, read my response to agsaunders here (http://neanahe.livejournal.com/63657.html?thread=268713#t268713) .

want them to remember

[erisreg.livejournal.com]

oh i'm sure i'll be remembered,..o.0

Re: want them to remember

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

LOL. Oh, you'll be remembered for more than one "cheeky" icon; your photos are amazing.

[highlandwolf.livejournal.com]

I know your friends will remember you, and am willing to bet your local fans will to. I've never seen your face, but I think that some people are well remembered without a standard external beauty to call their own.

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

My face isn't ugly, it's just not me, which is a very surreal way to feel about your own face.

[tatyannamw.livejournal.com]

I LIKE it! :)

Me want monkey on me headstone! EEK!

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

Why not? Put it in writing though, of your family will pick something more "dignified." What's so dignified about boring, anyway?

[tatyannamw.livejournal.com]

haha

My son would be embrarrased by having to ut the monkey on there. And that alone makes me want to do it. ;p

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

"My son would be embarrassed by having to put the monkey on there."

Yeah, especially since people will ask him if he has "seen his Mom's monkey lately." We're talking years and years of therapy, there.

[tatyannamw.livejournal.com]

*LOL*

[goingincirclez.livejournal.com]

That's really a great picture, but I'm sure you knew that ;)

There's an ancient (250+ year old) cemetary in town here, with a few unmarked headstones. The ones that get me are the families wiped out in epidemics and servants. I find them very poignant.

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I love the pic, too.

I like old cemeteries; they are always poignant for me. In my little town, the "Old Lutheran Cemetery" is very interesting to me. The town was originally a German settlement, and the oldest tombstones are all written in German. Then, beginning in 1941 (because of WWII), they suddenly are all in English. Some of the stones for married people, where one spouse died pre 1941 and the other post 1941, are in both languages, literately split down the middle.

[anayasmom.livejournal.com]

It is weird that whenever I see a rubber ducky I think of you :P I must admit that I am intrigued my the face behind all the stories ;)

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

I've been considering a post (I sometimes mull over them for weeks before they come to fruition) about why there are no pics of me. It's not just that I don't post my pics on line; there are very few of them in existence at all.

The only pic I have readily available in on on my Yahoo profile! (http://profiles.yahoo.com/neanah_e), taken shortly after my son was born. It doesn't show too much of my face, which might be why I don't hate it as much I hate most pictures of myself.

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

"Question: what does my icon say about me?"

I'm not sure. The negative image implies a distorted reality, a view of things from a format that transcends the expected visual expectations.

Beyond that, I've got nothing. ;)

[lil-ms-drama.livejournal.com]

This shouldn't crack me up for this reason, but it does. When I was looking for urns for Cliff, I found one that was in the shape/color of a rubber duckie.



From here. I knew that for him I wanted something unique to express how unique he was, and I think he would really laugh at the thought of him being in a yellow duck, but it was a bit too much for me.

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

I think your decision to blast him into space was better. I may have to bookmark that site for my own survivors, however...

[lil-ms-drama.livejournal.com]

Well, they only take 1 gram of ashes, so I still have plenty to find an urn for even with 5 family members taking a portion of his ashes too.

What I'd like to find would probably have to be custom made and therefore costing megabucks. I'd like a pewter urn shaped either like comedy/tragedy masks or a film canester, or an old-time camera.

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

Cheaper alternative: find a real film canister or old camera, put the ashes in it and have the whole thing cast in bronze.

[lil-ms-drama.livejournal.com]

I never thought of that. That's a great idea! Thanks!

[dalerian.livejournal.com]

Does anyone think that their mirror-face is really them? I've been mildly surprised by it everytime I've seen it ... and that's a fair number of years now.

[neanahe.livejournal.com]

If only we could walk around dressed up as our icons... ;)

[dalerian.livejournal.com]

Given some icons, I have mixed feelings here.
Like mine, for example. How would I operate in life, dressed as a pair of scissors? I'd hate to slip over while running...

It'd be fun to see you pass through doorways. :)