It began with this photo. I was checking for football scores when I noticed it roll through my twitter feed.
A big, fat, heart swelling sigh. How gorgeous, how together, how beautiful.
Having ventured into coupledom 15 years ago perhaps it’s pure unrealistic optimism, envisaging my own stories behind the photo. A family, a simple life full of complicated emotions. The times it almost fell apart which became the reasons they stayed together.
I made the mistake of reading the comments.
“Who are these people? Why isn’t there a story, or photo credit?”
I wondered why I didn’t need those details.
“It’s a fake, there’s no way that rock hasn’t changed in 51 years.”
I took another look at the rock.
“Fake – two different couples taken on the same day.”
I began to look at their features more closely.
“Am I the only one who hasn’t noticed his huge sasquatch feet?”
I looked at his feet and instantly hated myself for doing so.
We all see something different when we look at a picture. Some of us need a story, some are happy to make up their own. Some of us immediately question what we see, others can only see the surface, the physical.
I took another look. How gorgeous, how together, how beautiful. Whatever the story.
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I love it. I dont care if it is the same couple or not. Perhaps they saw the first photo and decided they wanted to create their own. Doesnt matter.
Am on the love it side – and I actually think it is the older photo that is so compelling as they look so happy and fulfilled – doesn’t matter if the photo set up is ‘faked’ if you like, you can’t fake the emotion.
Cx
I don’t care who the people are. I looked at those photos as brief and lovely story. I enjoy fiction as well as non-fiction, and we can learn from and be inspired from them both. And frankly, since I’m moving closer to the 51 years side of the equation every day, I’m happy to see a depiction of a not-so-glamorous, not-so-perfect, not-so-taut couple who still seem to really enjoy each other’s company – even if they’re a representation and not the ‘real thing.’ A sweet post whether it’s ‘real’ or not…
I look at the two pictures and feel happy that a relationship has remained stable for 51 long years. I did not have the need to play detective to find out if it was a fake, photo shopped version posted for the sake of drawing likes and comments.
You don’t need to play detective, just accept that the two pics were taken within an hour of each other, hence water marks and grass being exactly the same. So the pics tell us nothing about the longevity of either relationship, or even if either couple are actually together at all.
It’s distressing how many people put these things out without checking. This is how the internet fills up with fakes. Sometimes you need to resist the urge to believe and ask ‘why?’
And yet she still has the same long, svelte legs….he the same brow and eye proportions. Same feet! Feet widen with age.
What shows it’s fake is that the grass and water stains on the rocks are exactly the same. What you’ve basically got then is two pics of two people. If they’ve faked that it’s the same people, why should we even believe they’re even couples? They could just be models who’ve never met before. Saying ‘how beautiful and sweet’ is like looking a porn video and thinking you’re watching real love.
Hang on? Are you telling me that porn stars aren’t in love???
Damnit, I should only break one dream at a time!