Passport Photo

It occurred to me a while back that my passport had expired. This made me nervous. I like that secure feeling you get when you know that, no matter what happens, you can always leave the country.

I went about the rather lengthy business of filling out new paperwork and then off I went to the mall to have my picture taken. My last passport photo was, if not flattering, at least a fair representation of what I look like, minus glasses. So having my picture taken this time didn't seem like too big a deal. Until I got it back.

At first I thought they'd given me the wrong picture. The woman in it looked like she'd been picked up for robbing a 7-Eleven to support her Twinkie addiction and was trying to look remorseful for her mug shot. But since I could hardly go back and ask them to retake the picture because I didn't feel I looked pretty enough, I stuffed the photos in my purse and convinced myself I was being overly critical. No one likes how they look in pictures, right?

When I got home, the reality hit full-force. Upon seeing the photo, the Captain, who is an expert at not reacting to things because he's been married to me for 14 years, actually let out a loud gasp. At this point, I knew it was bad.

So you know I'm not exaggerating, here is the picture I'll be showing to customs officials around the world for the next 5 years:


Staycation, anyone?

Comments

Granny Bob said…
Okay, so Iam sorry to say this but I have to agree it does not look like you at all. Why do they do this to us I am embarassed to show my driver license pic because Iam afraid they will say that is not you, they need to take so course or something in making these pics much better.Never thought about a passport like that before, guess I'll have to get one. Glad to see finding time to post, good on you!
November 4, 2011 at 10:05 AM
Glenda said…
Not a horrible look....just a little frazzled...What did you have to go through in order to get to the mall? How many problems did you solve, how many runny noses did you wipe, how many questions did you answer and how many children did you have to take with you? You just look any normal "Mom" to me. I've looked worse than that on a good day...so don't sweat it my friend!
November 4, 2011 at 10:25 AM
Suburban Princess said…
Like Erma Bombeck said...when you look like your passport photo, it's time to go home!
November 4, 2011 at 6:47 PM
Judy@judyfriendphotography.com said…
Passport photos and drivers license photos all fall into this category. Plus you are stuck with that same dreaded picture for years and every time you have to pull it out for someone else to look at it you are already thinking about a response to their facial expressions. So I say #$^^# to them all. It's not our fault we did not have a team of people to make us look like Beyonce or Jennifer Anniston or anyone else famous! Have a great weekend! P.S. I hope the Captain is sleeping with one eye open after his response!! Jude
November 5, 2011 at 4:44 AM
Frostbite and Sunburn said…
These official photos always look .... er.... official. It's not THAT bad! My driving license picture is definitely the Twinkie-addiction-7-Eleven hold-up con-artist's long lost sister! LOL

Hey - at least it's only a five year passport!

Have a good week.
November 5, 2011 at 5:04 PM
Kelly L said…
Funny - I personally don't think it's that bad.. but you are right it is sorta of mug shotish - but you are still beautiful!
I've Become My Mother
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November 5, 2011 at 7:33 PM
Sandra said…
I don't think it's bad, mind you I don't see you in your day-to-day life. In my picture, they made me pull my bangs off my face...wtf? I wear my bangs down. If I pull them off my face, then the custom officials will think I'm trying to hide something when I go through the border with my bangs down!...Plus we should totally get to smile in those things. I know I'm smiling when I'm on the run.
November 5, 2011 at 8:41 PM
Victoria said…
Well, I don't know you in real life, but this photo certainly looks way more presentably than MY passport photo. (the only reproach would be you look like the only thing you are wearing is a denim jacket and it's completely unbuttoned. Kind of passport flasher). My passport photo shows a well-weather-beaten donkey with mixed sad and sly expression. I don't know what impression the border officers could get from this photo, but frankly I don't care. I guess they are usually too busy and tired from all those faces to notice.
November 8, 2011 at 1:36 PM
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