I had my picture taken yesterday. I know, most people on the Internet seem to have a complete photo diary of their whole existence. I grew up with a Kodak Brownie. We took pictures only if necessary. Like on a vacation. In a different state.
The picture I he had taken yesterday was even more monumental than an out of state vacation. It was for my driver’s license. And it was about time too. The last time I updated my driver’s license was 4 years, 3 operations, and 100 pounds ago. I bore as much resemblance to my ID as …. let’s just say it wasn’t actually representative. In fact, the one time I actually needed a photo ID that anybody paid particular attention to, the nice TSA agent kept looking from it to me to it to me to it. Fortunately I had that renewed my passport two years ago which was after the 3 surgeries and 100 pounds. More fortunately I decided to bring it along with me even though I wasn’t traveling outside the country. Most fortunately that particular TSA agent was perusing my travel documents on the return portion of that trip and I really didn’t want to spend another night in New Orleans.
I figured something out on my way to the photo center. I was going for my eleventh renewal. Here ours renew every 4 years. That’s a lot of driving. And based on heads and shoulders at least, a pretty nifty photographic record of changing hair styles. Or it would be if they were on all my licenses. We only started using pictures on our licenses here in 1976 so my first couple documents were just black type on color coded card stock. Now it just so happened those license periods also coincided with my under 21 years.
IDs without photos are hardly identifying yet that was the standard in the dark ages of paper licenses. Of course that eliminated an entire cottage industry since it meant there was no need for a fake ID business. All you had to do was find an older somebody who wasn’t going out the same night as you who reasonably matched your basic info … height, eye and hair color, and sex. Sex is important. Having an older sister is of no benefit when you’re a younger brother.
But that won’t do today. Now there are pictures on licenses. And bar codes and holograms and for some reason a second picture. I guess that makes up for all the years there were none.
I figured I’m good for a while now. I have 4 new years on my driver’s license, 8 more years on my last password renewal, and no job and no school to go to that might require a photo ID card.
I don’t have to worry about a good hair day until 2022!
The Real Reality Show Blog 
That reminds me, I need to update my driving license!!
Here our driving license photos are pulled from our electronic passports so no need for a new photo for me! Maybe I’ll need a new passport when we leave the EU though….
Photo licenses were just new when I started driving and some people here still have the old ones (only photo licenses need updated every 10 years)
I’m glad I could be your reminder! I like that your passport people and your license people share. Very convenient.
I had to renew mine last year, and ours in Wisconsin are good for 8 years. I’ve no plans to leave the state, let alone the country, so I don’t have a passport.
I can have bad hair days for a LOOOOOOONG time to come!
Eight years! Boy are they missing out on a revenue opportunity. After I uploaded the post I realized I have renewed more than 11 times because those first few renewal periods were actually 2 year intervals. That was a pain.
I just renewed mine, and they don’t even bother taking new photos in the Sunshine State. They just pulled my old one out and used it–several more wrinkles and a different hair color later!
Wow, that’s interesting. Do they ever update the photos? I think I was most happy with mine at age 34. That was a good year. I want that picture back!
Love this!! I hate having my photo taken. I guess like you said, it’s because we’re from the pre-selfie generation. I can’t even manage to take a selfie. I tried and just couldn’t. Maybe I need a selfie stick. Or maybe I just need to keep away from cameras. Although that doesn’t seem to help with my bad hair days. They still come with alarming regularity!! Thanks for the good laugh!!
For some reason a while ago I got a selfie stick. I think I must have had the same success at taking a selfie without one as I did getting a clear picture of a black bird in a coal mine at night without a flash. Unfortunately the only thing I was able to accomplish with the stick was dropping my phone farther away from me than without it. So I think I’ll stay with having others take my pictures and imperil their equipment.
100 lbs!? Wow. That’s a lot of weight (that I hope you had to lose). I hate ID pics.
Actually it was 115 but I gained back 12 so I’m rounding it off. Some I had to lose, some I wanted. I still looked like I wanted to be anywhere but in front of that camera.
Just didn’t know if it was from illness. That’s really something! Congratulations.
Thank you