Photobomb - 1982

For several years, I have had times that I have spent a lot of time scanning pictures.  Every once in a while I come across a surprising photo...something that we might call a photobomb today!

It was 1982, and my great grandparents were celebrating their 65th Wedding Anniversary.  They requested that my mother pick out a song and play and sing for them.  This put a lot of pressure on my mother - not the performance side, because she was a natural performer - but trying to find the perfect son, that was a struggle.  I remember her going through her music for several weeks picking one song then discarding it, all in the goal of finding the perfect song.  Finally Mom made her decision....she played "True Love" from High Society (a remake of The Philadelphia Story with Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly and Frank Sinatra).

The time came for the day of the party.  It was held down at the Lewiston Lyons Club.  Mom's performance was well received and remembered.  My great grandmother was thrilled with Mom's song choice. I remember that I was about 15 years old, and it was really the first time that I was helping out in the kitchen and spending time doling about punch at the punch bowl.  I remember that my great uncles - Cap and Wayne were teasing me to no end that I wore that dress on purpose because it matched the punch.  It was neat feeling that day though - I felt like I had moved to a different place in the family.  Working in the kitchen with the rest of the women in the family was an educational experience.  Mostly because I heard and learned things about family dynamics that I never would have learned otherwise. When family members think about this reunion, the photo below is what they think of.  It is a special photo made even more special because it was the last photo of the oldest nine children, Aunt Norma died a few years later.

Back L - R:  Don, Duane, Byron, Pauline, Marian, Orland, Bernard
Bottom L - R - Norma, Grandma Florence, Grandpa Ora, Elaine

However, there is a one photo that presented an unexpected surprise.  Someone was taking a picture of me...and in the background of that photo I can see a lot of familiar faces including Uncle Wayne Larue, Aunt Jeanne Shawver Renz, cousins Karl Gage and Ivan Gage and there in the background is my mother.  Mom had a great sense of humor that didn't usually show itself in photos.  Probably because she disliked having pictures taken of her so much - but there in the background is my mother, waving a paper plate with a great look on her face.  (Click on the picture and you can see the photo larger) I think one would say that she is photo-bombing the picture...of course it wasn't even a word back then!