I’ve been on Facebook for a few months now, having already tried Friendster and MySpace. I must be an old curmudgeon, since for the most part I don’t really get the whole ‘social networking’ thing. Sure, it’s nice to get into sort of pseudo-contact with old friends and acquaintances, look at their pictures and such, but the rest of it just doesn’t click for me. The games, the quizzes, etc… I keep trying, but the purpose generally eludes me.
That may have changed just a tiny bit now. About three years ago I took this photo of a ‘fantastikal’ character at the Bristol Renaissance Faire:
Of all the photos I’ve taken, this is among my top ten – quite possibly my very favorite. Her character seemed to only interact with children. She moved around in a flowing crouch, struck strange poses, and was generally unearthly. My nephew, who was only a little over two years old at the time, saw a pose she was in and mimicked it. She noticed, and changed poses. He mimicked her again. Then he posed, and she copied him. Little by little they crept towards one another, coming face to face. They touched hands, and exchanged small pebbles and sticks as gifts as a gathering crowd watched. Without saying a word, this faerie creature and a two-year-old boy had a moment of perfect communication. I’ll remember the scene for a long time.
Ever since I took it that photo, I’ve wondered who the the girl was. She clearly had training as a dancer. Even a lout like me could see that by how she moved – she almost glided over the ground. She had some skill as an actress, as well, judging by how wonderfully she played her role.
Well, thanks to Facebook groups, I finally know who she is. Her name is Kaitlin Chin, and not surprisingly, in addition to her other talents she is also a model. In some of her professional photos, you can see a hint of the mischievous faerie creature come through.