Motherhood, a photo essay

My Rectilinear Life

overworkedtiredandnumb

Location: Dalian, China
Birthday: December 11

Bio: US expat living in China. Another 40-something woman experiencing mid-life crisis, only this time in China, with dumplings.

MY RECENT POSTS

Job Hunting
September 20, 2011 04:46PM
Home Again
September 16, 2011 04:38PM
What does it mean?!
April 20, 2011 01:42AM
Reality Check (India, part 4)
February 16, 2011 04:19AM
Tiger, Tiger (India, part 3)
February 13, 2011 04:35AM

MY RECENT COMMENTS

“Oh shit. I think I might be one, too.”
February 16, 2011 12:12PM
“In my experience, the peasants of China are much harder to find. They are mostly…”
February 16, 2011 08:05AM
“I think the Mahajahs took two years to give up the land. :-) It was awesome!”
February 13, 2011 06:57AM
“Control? We always act like we can control every minute detail. What a crock.…”
February 11, 2011 09:32AM
“Uh oh, now I'm on the hook. Working on Day 3 now. Thanks for reading!”
February 10, 2011 10:59PM

Overworkedtiredandnumb's Links

My Posts: 83. Tiger, Tiger (India, part 3); 82. Ridin' That (Turns Out to be Midnight) Train (india, Part 2); 81. A Passage to, uh, India; 80. A Dream; 79. Learn the Language; 78. When My Morning Comes Around; 77. 2010: The Year in Quotes; 76. The Immigration Bunny; 75. Google Translate, 一半半; 74. Motherhood, a photo essay; 73. Special Friend: Clay; 72. US-Chinese Relations: Slowly Warming Up; 71. Good Job, Bad Job, Any Job, Please; 70. Ideas That Shake My World; 69. Would you like some hot water with that?; 68. Special Friend: Brandon; 67. Special Friend: Jane; 66. A Visit to Hong Kong; 65. Pork Pastries 不好吃!; 64. Rock, Paper, What?; 63. 很可爱的女儿（Very Cute Daughters); 62. Digesting China; 61. Adapting (?) to China; 60. Christmas in China; 59. Expat Drunk Blogging; 58. Adventures in Translation; 57. Settling In - In China's Rust Belt; 56. And we're off; 55. Preparing for Our Move to China, Part V; 54. Preparing for Our Move to China, Part IV; 53. Preparing for Our Move to China, Part III; 52. Ft. Hood: Potential Lessons; 51. Things We Are Doing to Prepare for Our Move to China, Pt. II; 50. Cyber-Anger: Not New, But Lasting; 49. Things We Are Doing to Prepare for Our Move to China, Part I; 48. Attending the Theater; 47. Gloves On: Slightly Better Than Awful Pizza Now Available; 46. Old Couple Overheard on Flight from Chicago to Phoenix; 45. The Toilet Reveals Something Deep. But What?; 44. More Food Notes from China; 43. Lunch in China; 42. The Way We Made the Decision; 41. Choosing a Home in China; 40. House Hunting in China; 39. 不看 Facebook (No Read Facebook); 38. Almost a Year; 37. 15 in 15: The Quote Quiz; 36. Thoughts on Southern Liberals (i.e., Mama and Daddy); 35. Notes To and From a Packrat; 34. Dude, Where's My Brush?; 33. Dad is Awesome; 32. My American Idols; 31. Dinah Washington; 30. Spansion Lays Off Thousands While Spending to "Retain" Execs; 29. She's Mean and Evil Through and Through; 28. Signage; 27. Who Could Resist?; 26. A receipt; 25. Saturday, July 25th, 1925; 24. My Afternoon on OS: Or, I really need a new hobby.; 23. 2008 The Year in Quotes; 22. 25 is a lot of things; 21. Open Salon Cherry Juice Debate, a call for volunteers; 20. Open Salon Debate Format, Version 1.0; 19. Debating Debating: A Proposed Open Salon Debate Format; 4. Unearthing Treasures; 18. Hard Times; 17. Portrait; 16. OS Collage: o please o please o please let me in; 15. Hope Springs Eternal; 14. Pre-school Civics 101; 13. The Consolation of Laughter; 12. Circling the Square; 11. Compromise; 10. Here I Am; 9. Dull Ache; 8. The Way of Clay; 7. This is My Favorite Picture; 6. Poor Cissy Hadn't Got a Mama; 5. Some Beginnings; 3. Maintaining Sanity; 2. Mama Died Today; 1. Death 'n' Shit

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NOVEMBER 10, 2010 12:56AM

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I'm not fond of having my photo taken, particularly post-partum, but this photo is simply a classic. Stare, if you will, into the face of utter ambiguity. I call this photo, "I'm happy?" The mouth grudgingly forms a smile and the eyes are begging the photographer to go away. And yet, I am happy. Kind of.

Here I am about 14 years prior. With a fish. And zero ambiguity.

I'm not prepared to add to the mountainous volumes of literature written about the mixed emotions that come with motherhood. Google it if it interests you. I simply add my photographic testimony herewith.