SPT August 4

Self-Portrait Challenges for the month of August have to do with the Olympics, and the Olympic motto of "citius, altuis, fortius" (faster, higher, stronger.) Remember, I'm doing the 2008 challenges, so this makes sense, even though I feel like a doofus writing about something that happened a year ago ....

Specifically, with how that motto can be applied to our personal ability to "uphold the ideals of the Olympic motto", as per Lelly of Lelly's Musings.

She says, "while i'm far from an Olympic athlete, i like to think that i exhibit some of the same skill and determination that they do. so this month, for spt, i will challenge myself to uphold the ideals of the Olympic motto:

citius, altius, fortius
[faster, higher, stronger]
These three words encourage the athlete to give his or her best during competition, and to view this effort as a victory in itself.


each week, think about the Olympic motto, and how it can apply to our every day lives. citius. altius. fortius. are we giving our best? can we find victories in the efforts we make every day?"

It's no shocker that I don't have an athletic bone in my body, and in fact, tripped over a lawn chair in my sister's garage today and almost fell down. So while I certainly can't apply these ideals to myself in any kind of athletic fashion, I think I can find ways they might apply to my NON-athletic daily life.

Today's trait, "faster" ties in perfectly with how I spent the afternoon -- taking pictures of my kids and three of my nephews while they swam at my sister's house. I needed to be "faster" on the shutter button to get this great picture of the six of them, and when I did, I felt victorious indeed:



And this is what happens when you aren't fast enough:







And I realize it's not technically a "self" portrait since I'm not in the shot ... but at least a couple of them are only one generation removed ... so on second thought .... why, yes. It IS a self-portrait! Hush up, it is so!!