Pictures of the past

My sister put together a powerpoint slideshow of pictures my aunt had. My aunt passed away in January of 1998 and these pictures were handed down to my cousin, her daughter, who was good enough to let my sister borrow and scan them to make this slideshow. She did this in time for my Uncle Johnnie's 60th birthday. I hadn't seen it until tonight. My other cousin who was lucky enough to be present for the festivities gave me her copy to view while mine makes the long cross-country trip via snail-mail. It stirred up a lot in me. My sister did a good job. I can tell this would have hit me hard at any point in my life, but for different reasons. What hit me hard tonight was this: they're just like us.
There's a picture, one particular, that struck me. It's of my Aunt Peg, sister to my father, and her husband UncleDon. My father and mother (which is the only picture I can remember seeing of them together) my Uncle Jerry, (or Gerry, as I learned tonight his name is short for Gerald. Funny, I've never thought of him as a Gerald) brother to my father. My Aunt Colleen, sister to my father. Ken and Gloria, friends of the family who's names and faces I remember, though I can't place from where. My Uncle Johnnie, brother to my father and his wife Aunt Beckie. There are two other people in there that I don't recognize, though I think one of them is Aunt Loretta, sister to my Grandmother. I assume the picture was taking during a Christmas party, with garland strung along the walls and paper bells hung from the ceiling. There's a festive-looking tablecloth over the table they're all sitting and standing around. The clothes and hairstyles set the date in the early 70's
It looks like any group shot you might see, except Uncle Johnnie. His right shoulder is poised back, his left slumped forward. His hair ( I see no reason to temper "hair" with an adjective as I don't remember him ever having any) and his jaunty mustache, a cocky look on his face. As I watched the slideshow again and again, I paused at this picture to study the faces of my family. I didn't realize until the third time what had given me pause. It's the look on Uncle Johnnie's face. It's youth. It's me and it's everyone my age that I know. Did Uncle Johnnie, on that day, contemplate his 60th birthday party? Did he think about being surrounded by the people he knew and loved? Did he imagine holding his grandchild in his arms as he rejoiced having his two (at that time unborn) children back under his roof? Did he wonder who, of these beloved people standing around him, might not be at that party? Of course not. He hadn't even had children yet. He may not have even bought a house yet. He had bills and his future to occupy his thoughts. What if, though? What if, at that moment, that second the shutter snapped closed, he thought, if only for a second, I'll be looking at this picture at my 60th birthday party. What if he thought that and posed that way, his right shoulder poised back, his left slumped forward, his hair that would all too soon be a fading memory, and his jaunty mustache that would one day no longer adorn his face. What if he wore that cocky look on his face and thought I'll be looking at this picture at my 60th birthday party?

Left to Right, Seated: Uncle Jerry, Aunt Colleen, Grandma Robinson, Gloria, Aunt Peg) Standing: Uncle Don, Ken, Uncle John, Aunt Becky, Ken and Gloria's daughter, Kathy (mother) and Terry (father)