Pat Jones, Hawick, has been taking pictures for years. A friend talked her into entering Life's Options Creative Expressions photo contest sponsored by the Fargo Forum.Just as Jones and a friend, Marguerite Hufford, Hawick, were ready to leave for the Lifeâ Options Expo, Jones received word she had won second place in the photo contest.
"I was so surprised to learn I was a winner. It was my first time entering a contest," Jones said.
The photo is of her seven-year-old granddaughter, Pilar. Pilar is the daughter of Brian and Kellie Jones, Hawick.
"I love to take pictures," Jones said. The picture shows Pilar lying in a field of flowers.
"The picture was taken outside of Hawick along Highway 23," Jones added. "We were driving around picking wildflowers when I had Pilar lay in the road ditch among the flowers for the picture."
At the 1997 Life's Options Expo, Hufford won second place with a commentary on life.
Her commentary is printed below:
I have entered the 'you look great' part of my life.
You come into this world as a baby. You have no teeth, little or no hair, no control of the faucet and, you babble, yet everyone thinks you're beautiful. Family and friends fight to hold and snuggle you.
As you grow into your teeth, you become the smartest and most talented child that was ever created-ask any parent! Then you become a teenager and live in your own private world. It's both a wonderful and hurting world. It's a time when you are not allowed to do all the things that your friends are allowed to do. You still like to be held and snuggled, but not by your parents! Then you grow into that challenging young adult world.
I'm not sure when I entered the middle aged world and Iâm not sure when I left it. I think middle age comes at different times for different people. Some people are young at heart and never grow up- others are mature and old at a young age.
Middle age is an interesting age to watch. A middle ager tries to be everything to everyone. They want perfection and seldom take time to enjoy their own life. They don't have much time to hug and snuggle, but probably need it more than they ever have. At middle age, people tell you you're looking very attractive with a little gray in your hair and your body is still pretty firm and not sagging yet.
Then you hit the 'you look great' age. It's a nice way of saying, 'your gray hair is becoming, the extra pounds look good on you, and you sure don't have any wrinkles for your age.'
All the time they're wondering if your teeth are your own, do you dye your hair (if you have gray), do you still have sex, and they glance to see if you're wearing those little volume buttons in your ears. The conversation focuses on prune juice, arthritis, senior citizen discounts and elderhostels.
In fact, when I think of it, it's something like the baby stage-prune juice, no teeth, hair going, faucet end doesn't work as well, and sometimes we babble. The best part of this age is you finally have time to watch the birds, visit with friends, and take a nap. God willing there will be more days to enjoy these bonus years. We still like to be hugged and snuggled and we thrive on hearing, you look great!"