You wake up anxious. The outfit has been decided. The look, casual, not trying too hard.

Don’t lose the envelope! The envelope that your Mom spent hours studying, trying to decide if package A or package B had enough 8×10’s, 3×5’s and “wallets” she needed to send off to some relative you have never met. The envelope that contains her check in the amount of $15.75 for package B. Don’t lose the envelope!

You only have this one day to look good and one envelope so don’t mess up. It’s Picture Day!

You arrive at school and can feel the energy and excitement. Combed hair, dresses, clean shirts, none of the usual attire.

There is sure to be tears.

It’s Picture Day.

In today’s day and age with selfies at an all time high, school photos are not the hot commodity they were back when I was in school. There was once a time when you signed the back of your school photo and gave it to your friends. You had to wait to find out how many pictures Mom was going to let you give away and who you were going to give one to!

See, if Mom’s decision for package “B” only left you 3 “wallets” then 3 friends were getting pictures. That’s it. This was serious business. Today with all of the technology we have, photo sharing happens unlimited daily, not just when your school pictures arrive.

But Picture Day still happens regardless. You need a student I.D. card.

Now, if you don’t take this seriously you could be stuck with the worst student I.D. ever for a full year! You get one chance. Retakes are weeks later and you need your I.D. now. Today’s technology will hand you your card immediately after taking your picture. No waiting necessary.

It actually could turn out to be the best picture you have ever taken in your entire life but you are still going to show everyone the “AWFUL” picture of you while loudly declaring it is the worst of all time! (It’s ok if you secretly love it, they don’t have to know!) Make sure you show EVERYONE just how bad this picture is.

Also note the outfit you spent so much time agonizing over hardly shows in the picture.

( Are you ready?…yep… this is my actual job, I’m the one holding the master list of names for an entire school being photographed. We are in a very large and loud Gym or Auditorium. Though fully capable of yelling to their friends across campus this is what I encounter repeatedly)

“What is your last name?”

…mumble…

“Can you say that again?”

Mumble.

“Ok start spelling it..”

J…o…

“Johnston?Johns?”

…mumble…j..oh..hana…hnahana…….

“Johannason?”

Mumble

“Johsiaaah??”

“Joshua?”

“Write it down for me”

Next!

“No, you can’t have a retake”

“No, we don’t do photo shop”

“No I don’t want to hear the weird noise you can make”

“Yes you need to take your hat off”

“Yes, you have to have your picture taken”

Next!

“What’s your last name?”

…mumble…den…

“Hayden?”

…mumble…den…

“Cayden?”

“Aiden?”

“Is that your first name?”

“I need your last name…”

mumble…

“You are in the wrong line.”

Next!

“Last Name?”

…preston…

“Is that your first or last name?”

…oh…kennedy…

“Preston Kennedy?”

…uh…no…

“Kennedy Preston?”

…uh…?

“Never mind just spell your last name”

Next!

“Last Name”

….arila…

“I’m sorry say that again”

…uerilla…

“Gu?”

…yes…

“Just start spelling it”

“Are you Luis?”

…no…

“Miguel?”

“Juan?”

“Javier?”

“Xavier??”

…yes…

“Which one!?!?”

NEXT!

Picture Day.