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Thursday, April 28, 2005
Gail's self-portrait
By Chic Fortich
WHEN I was still writing for the Philippine Daily Inquirer many years ago, I used to intrigue my interviewees with an interpretation of the "self-portraits" they had made of themselves. I asked them to put several items in their drawing, arrange them into a landscape, and present them to me.
My editor here tried the drawing, and described it to me.
Her description follows:
"The sun is just rising, above the mountains. I'm afraid of snakes! I hid it behind the mountains. The lake is large and placid, close to my house. My house is beautifully built, like a ranch house. It even has flowers. The trees are sheltering the house. There are three of them."
"There is a cement walk towards the house, but the road goes straight toward nowhere."
I could not help myself. I had to laugh loudly. She was puzzled.
"It's your snake that makes me laugh," I giggled. "Why did you hide it behind the mountain?"
"They scare me!" was her answer.
"Snakes represent our passion, our desires," I explained.
"Oh, no!!!" she reacted aloud. Then, in a whisper, she told me that she had always been ashamed of her how husband looked, and would not even look at his body.
Of course, I laughed more loudly. I had to give her a small briefing about the snake after she explained that she had grown up with a very conservative family, where such things were taboo, not to be talked about. So she had grown up being naive and ignorant. Even when she had gotten married, she was still naive.
As a much older woman, I told her that, at the age of early thirty, a woman had to begin to grow with her inner passion. This was only natural. She should spend more time enjoying herself and her husband. This would give them the breadth of an expanded world. This period usually lasted around twenty years, or even more, in women. It was nothing to be ashamed or, or afraid of.
So, I noticed, the passion was already there, for I could tell that she was excited. And promised me she would try it on her husband.
We went on.
"Your just-rising sun represents your ambitions for yourself. You still have not set your mind on what you really want from life."
"Your large mountains tell me that you do think you have the talents you need. But you still have to work on them."
"The house represents your family, and how you care for them. It's very good. And very nice. The cement walk even tells me you welcome people to your house."
"And the three trees behind and beside the house show your love for your family who lives in the house. Nice, except that they lack the snakes.
"The lake represents your inner self. This shows a calm and placid woman."
"But the lack of direction of the road is what is troubling me. It means you have no idea where you are going, where life is bringing you." "The mountains are large, and under the sun. A few trees."
The analysis you find here is a bit short, just enough for the space provided. Actually, I do it more lengthily over the phone, discussing each of the items with her. If you are fascinated by it, you can call me at 858-6678; or just send your drawing to Abigail at the Sun Star office, so she can describe it to me.
(April 28, 2005 issue)
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