Me, Myself and Eye

ONLINE PRESENTATION

Me, Myself and Eye Home   //  Leslie Elsasser - Introduction   //  Selina Roman - Mind Currents   //  Michael Ball   //  TC Bryant   //  Larry Busby   //  David Canaday   //  Michael Congdon   //  Brandie Dziegiel   //  Loretta Fields   //  Jeaniel Image   //  Douglas Eric Jordan   //  Valerie Larson   //  John Leduc   //  Jason Lind   //  Mikko Maki   //  Alex Martinez   //  Matias   //  Noemys McConnell   //  Megan O’Connell   //  Robert Ortega   //  Adaina Plaza   //  Pat Randall   //  Heather Rivera   //  RaeAnne Swanson   //  Michael Webb

 

LORETTA FIELDS - US ARMY

The year 2020 

In the sixty-nine years I have lived on this earth, I have never seen so much turmoil over the various political viewpoints and out-right language used by a president of the United States. I lived through the racism, name calling and information presented in the media and other forms of communication. When I was young there was not as much exposure to politics like there is today due to our modern technology. Most actions were hidden and you never heard much about these secrets that are currently exposed. In the area where I grew up in Northern Virginia, we had little exposure to many things because it was a small town. The town is located thirty miles west of Washington, DC. Growing up, our families were not taught about the difference of the color of your skin—we just got along with everyone. It was about love, faith and community. The neighborhood consisted of my grandparents, uncle, aunts and cousins. We all lived on one gravel road, that finally got paved after I graduated from high school and moved away in 1969. In the area where I lived there were social justice and civil right issues including The Great March on Washington, that was held in D.C. on Wednesday, August 28, 1963. My father, who is ninety-two years old and still living, and my older brother, both marched in Washington on that day. 

The self-portrait is me pondering what the world has to offer during the current pandemic of COVID-19 including the social and racial unrest and the election of a new president. Where do we go from here? I wanted to show how a sixty-nine-year-old woman looks after serving the Federal Government and the US Army with a total of thirty-six years of service. It brings out the adventure in your life. I wanted a plain background as I just wanted to focus on myself. I usually wear glasses and I chose to take them off because they act as a barrier between me and what is ahead in my life. 

Now is the time to focus on ourselves to make sure we are in the “present” now. All of life worries are not worth it, if you can’t focus on yourself and your well-being. People in the world will always be who they are, so if you want to live YOUR best life, you must take the time to care for yourself. 

This is my second time taking the Breaking Barriers course and I will continue to come back because of the enjoyment and comradery with other service personnel. Nobody is a stranger in the Armed Forces. In the Army you are considered a soldier for life. As members of the Armed Forces we can all learn something from one another. The stories we can tell and the adventures we have experienced are somethings you don’t hear about in the normal way of life. “Normal Way of Life”—What is that anyway?

This year, the class gave me an opportunity to learn about the one thing we have to carry as a lifeline today, the cellphone. The class provided insight to the many options a cellphone camera can provide when using it for photography. I am a jewelry designer and the course allowed me to improve my photographic skills when capturing the designs of my jewelry without having to use a traditional camera. What a marvelous way to learn something new and have fun, such a concept: getting an education while having fun! 

LORETTA FIELDS
US ARMY

 

 

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For more information:
Email Leslie Elsasser at lelsasse@usf.edu
or Ashley Jablonski at danyele@usf.edu

Breaking Barriers 2020 is supported by the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital, Love IV Lawrence, Hillsborough Arts Council, and the Florida Department of State.