I work in a high school, but not as a teacher anymore. Last week after summer program ended for the day and all the custodians had left, I stayed after to take pictures with these blue lockers.
I've spent most of my weekend cloistered away writing articles to earn money so I can pay for tires, travel to weddings in Missouri and Atlanta, and lots of other things that have nothing to do with purchasing the frivolous items on my wish list: new camera lens, record player, squishy head phones, (so I can write in a coffee shop when I get bored of my house - and ear buds are not made for comfort), and I haven't gone thrifting or traveled in a long time... practical purchases are no fun! Maybe one day I'll give up non-profit work in exchange for a pay check. Maybe.
These lockers are frivolous as well - the students aren't supposed to use them, although there are locks on a few and I found a backpack in one. Most of the students here carry children's backpacks with super heroes on them and never seem to have books or a pencil. I'm yet to understand this. I'm also 100% in favor of e-text books, if such as thing has been invented yet. You'd never accidentally take home your science book instead of your math book again! (I did this in high school, a lot. It was my legit excuse for not having my homework).
Dress: Forever 21 clearance ($7!)
Necklace: my grandmother's
I don't believe in ghosts, or at least I tell myself that. I do believe in metaphorical ghosts. Several years ago a teenage girl was murdered in this courtyard on a stairwell by her ex-boyfriend, so while schools are typically creepy when you're in them alone, this one has an added chill of being a past murder scene. Not that I believe a teenage girl would want to stick around school post-mortem for any reason, but there's always something left behind by occurrences in a place, something barely perceptible. And, no matter how much we move forward, people never fully shake off all our old ghosts, do we?
7 comments:
Wow, what a pretty place to take photos. I don't think my high school lockers were brightly painted, maybe just a dull grey...
I would be spooked too -- how sad that something tragic happened there.
You look beautiful in that dress!
love that dress! 7 dollars?? wow, great deal! The blue lockers make a great backdrop. And that is definitely spooky that someone was murdered there. What part of Missouri are you coming to for a wedding?
What cool pictures! Your outfit is pretty much perfect, especially for this lovely Austin weather!
beautiful photo shoot! what great colors.
i agree with you, schools are f'ing scary as hell! they always feel like the place of a murder scene (that's because a lot of the time, they are!)
Nice Band of Horses reference :) I love that song. And I like your pics.
Amanda, you are so Angela Chase to me in these pictures! Does that reference make sense? I hope it does.
Anyway, beautiful photographs. Who takes your pictures?
@Joann - hey thank you! It's kind of sad that they are pulling those lockers out - see-through backpacks only now
@Sam - I probably won't make it to Missouri :( I'm dog sitting through the 7th and the wedding is the 8th, plus it's super expensive + time off work to get there. Maybe I need a rich husband...
@Sara-Jane Elizabeth - thank you! Today it's super rainy - my outfit will be pajamas and enjoying how much cooler it is
@Lauren - thank you! Yes - the school I taught at in Cabot had no hallway windows and I sponsored clubs after school - my poetry kids liked to stay till 8pm and I was always convinced I was going to get ax'd in the hallway on my way out. Open courtyards are a nice change...
@Lauralee - hey and I love you - when are you coming back to Austin??
@Tolly - I took these with my little tripod, I'm just about out of Lennon-taken pictures to post - scary to be without a photographer! But kind of more fun... and I've been meaning to watch that show FOREVER and now that I have utorrent I may just do it the illegal way...
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