gabe RAZO

Portrait of My Life

This photo is titled, Portrait of My Life. I took this photo with the intentions of using it as a symbolic metaphor of my life as of today. Everything you see in this photo has a metaphorical meaning. Right now, it may just look like a simple crack in a wall, but I can assure you, there’s more to it then that. And after you read the significant meanings of these symbols, you’ll understand why I titled this photo “Portrait of My Life.”

As you can see, there are 4 major elements in this photo. They are, the half in darkness, the crack, the step, and last, but certainly not least, the half overwhelmed in light. Their meanings are as follows:

The Half in Darkness

This is by far, the simplest symbol. It simply reflects my past.

The Crack

In The Half in Darkness, (in my past) you’ll notice a large crack. This crack represents the physical and emotional pain during my 7 operations (in which 3 I was awake during the surgery), during 2006. I spent over 9 months in a hospital bed. I spent my mornings, waking up with tubes connected to my arms, back, and stomach. I spent my days attempting to swallow my 5 medications, each with its own unique overpowering pungent taste. And I’ve spent my nights, listening to the monotonous beeping of my heart monitor, and the heart monitor of the weary infant next to me, praying to God that they both sustain their healthy, rhythmic beat.

Although all of this pain is in my past, it has made a significant impact on my life. It has made me stronger, and more appreciative towards life.

The Step

This step is a metaphor for the step I took on September 10^th, 2007, my first day back at school. Even though I had only been released from my shackles of tubes only a month before, I decided on that day, that my time of suffering was over. So I surprised everyone by getting up, getting dressed and starting a new chapter in my life. That was the step that finally lead me to the light.

The Half in Light

This brighter side of the wall represents the goodness in my life today, and also my future. I have met so many great people, and made many incredible friends now that I’m back. I’m now perfectly healthy, and I’m working very hard to catch up in school. This September, I will finally be a senior at Banning High. And in June of 2009, I will graduate, and pursue a career in Photography, Journalism, or The Music Industry.