I don’t consider myself particularly photogenic, but I have to admit that I was rather shocked – and not in a good way – when I happened to run across a certain photo that someone had taken at the recent Knoxville Twestival fundraiser.

This is, without question, THE WORST PHOTO EVER TAKEN OF ME.

Yes, from a certain angle, I sometimes pick up just the merest hint of a double chin in photos. I know that. I’ve accepted it. But what’s the deal here with the ENORMOUS ARM that I seem to have acquired just before this photo was taken? My arm in this photo is literally bigger than my head. It looks like my arm ate several other partygoers and was storing them up for the long winter ahead.

At first, I was horrified by the photo. But I began to see the humor in it as I observed other people’s reactions. My husband laughed so hard when he first saw it that I thought he might levitate with glee. Same for my sister. So yeah, now I think it’s pretty funny, this horrifying, giant arm/pinhead photo.

(But not so amusing that I don’t find myself compelled to post a second photo of my arm, the same arm, in its natural state. Not because I am sensitive about the Big Arm Photo’s continuing existence on Flickr, but just – you know – for the sake of comparison…)

NOTE: Someone just told me who took the Big Arm Photo, and as it happens, this person is actually very talented, and this was obviously just an unfortunate, one-off shot that is not reflective at all of the great photos he usually takes. Also, the GUY in that photo with me is my friend Alex Lavidge, who ALSO got the shaft in this particular picture, as Alex is actually an exceptionally attractive (and incredibly interesting) fella!