I told him what I there for

Who knew the pharmacy can fill your prescriptions, sell you wine, and more

He walked me over to the white curtain

I stood in front of it

“Do you have a hair tie,” he asked me

I wasn’t certain

“They have to see your ears”

I reached up and tucked my short hair back

I looked my best all that day for this moment

For the next 10 years I’d own it

I looked right at that lens looking back at me

Click, click – no flash

My face started to flush from my insecurity

For some reason standing there felt like perjury

That awkwardness was over soon enough

He said he’d be right back

A few minutes later he was on track

He handed me an envelope

I held on to hope

Then opened it up – uuuuhhhh

My 34-year-old face

From 24 what a slippery slope

Do I always look that tired

It’s in my eyes

Is my hair always that bushy

I wanted it flat – oh how I tried

Does my posture really hunch like that

And my beach blonde locks of youth turned dark

I gave it my best with that flower top

My white complexion is like a shock – nearly matching that background

But I stapled the photo to my application

Someone somewhere in the bowels of government will see it

Will they shriek

Or just not even think

And grant me my passport

Life’s too short

To get too involved in one’s appearances

Or too entrenched in work

I think it’s better to enjoy the experience

Later that night I showed my pictures to my husband

He pulled out his latest passport photos too

We compared them to our pictures from 10 years ago

We both keeled over in laughter

It was a zoo

We both have more wrinkles under our eyes

And a few gray hairs on our sides

We look a decade older

We’ve had a whole decade of laughs

And a few trips to the pharmacy for drugs during less pleasant times

And we’ve learned enough too not to chase the dollar signs

My husband told me recently

“Remember what happened in our favorite movie: They never made it to Paradise Falls”

“Time ran out,” I said

“Life just passed” he said

“We’ve got to have some more adventures before we’re dead”

Hence our passports were renewed

We’re no longer in our youth

But we have Richmond on the books

D.C. in the spring

The islands after that

And we’ll have some smaller fun in between

Though it’s humiliating

I got that passport photo taken

Another little memory in the making

Life is passing

I’ll seize the next decade with my groom

Be to my best ability a good wife

For you never know

If the journey will end soon