J u ly 10, 1 9 9 1 - T h e P ortland O b serv er—P age 5 Portland Photographer Wins Sears Outdoor Photo Contest Letting Go: Resolving Past Issues BY ULLYSSES TUCKER, JR. Relationships are difficult to estab­ lish and m aintain these days when you consider certain social and economic conditions that exist, but when you add in a few past pains from old relation­ ships or encounters, it only gets more com plicated. How many people do you know who have lost their ability to trust, bond, take risks, love, or believe in another (m aybe you?) human being because o f a bad (or several) experi­ ences? Are you that type o f person? N eedless to say, we are all that person at som e stage o f developm ent in our lives and if positive personal growth is to occur, it is imperative that we all learn to let go. Now, w hat type o f circumstance would cause someone to resist, deny, or reject the love o f another human being with good intentions? Sadly, you can look as close as your immediate family or your last relationship to potentially answ er that question. Rightfully so, people do not enjoy being used or hurt for that m atter and when it does happen to them, usually they vow to never al­ low the situation to develop again. A defensive posture is established and the battle is started. The battle to avoid being hurt again. In the process of this internal struggle, a person can truly miss out on wonderful experiences or a great human being because o f such in­ tense paranoia. Some of the methods people use to cope with unsettling or unresolved past experiences are totally dysfunctional. These issues arc woven so deep into the fabric o f people’s per­ sonalities that it lim its their view o f the world around them and about others. Everything they think, feel, and do is/ may be colored in some way by old pain or unfinished business from the past. W hether you suffered losses as a child or were neglected by your parents, re­ jected by your lover, abused verbally by your peers/friends, or hurt j n any other way, did you not find the strength or make attem pts to get on with your life in spite of the pain and dark m oments? You did what you had to do, but in the process o f getting on with your life, did you let go or create anger within? Let us explore some o f the person­ ality types that need to take a long hard look at them selves and the relationships in which they might be involved. The “ intimidator” is the emotionally guarded and suspicious type. Constantly on the lookout for signs that other people are going to use or abandon them, they usu­ ally attem pt to get the first blow, one which shocks the recipient because he/ she never sees it com ing. A total shock. Convinced that they can counton no one but self, the “ intim idator” needs to see him self as strong and independent. Next, we sec the type o f person who walks through life feeling that they are the “ v ictim ,” and this can be a self esteem issue more than anything. If you operate from this stance, you cannot imagine why someone would be inter­ ested in som eone as hopeless and help­ less as you perceive yourself to be. Only someone who is not good enough to at­ tract anyone better would choose you, you think, and the relationship never gets off the ground. Poised for rejection, you are easily hurt and offended. The more you whine and moan, the more lonely you will be. Chill out. There are other types like the “ footloose escape artist,” who has a deep fear o f com m itm ent and feeling suffocated. G enuine intimacy is som e­ thing he or she fears because it exposes the real person and y o u ’ll dance away before that happens. You also have those from dysfunc­ tional families and the “ desperately seeking” type who gets involved in re­ lationships for the sake o f a relationship for all the wrong reasons. You do all the giving and make great attem pts to fulfill your m ates every need. Balance is im ­ portant for this type. W hatever the reasons for your ina­ bility to let go o f past pains or reasons that prevent you from functioning prop­ erly in a relationship, you need to just do it. It will definitely enhance your self esteem, and relationships with family and friends. Maybe then you’ll be able to see clearly the love that’s been there all the time. j PORTLAND OBSERVER SPECIAL • WEDDINGS • RECEPTIONS • WHEN YOU PURCHASB 2 HOURS AT RBGULAR RATE CKXCLUDES CHAUFTEUB HP) FOR DETAILS AND RESERVATIONS: SPBCIAL PRICE GOOD FOR 1 HOUR ONLY • • • • • SPECIAL EVENTS GRADUATIONS VU» GUESTS CONVENTIONS ON-THE-TOWN • • • • • • • BUSINESS HOTEL GUESTS TOURS AIRPORT SERVICE SURPRISE BIRTHDAYS ANNIVERSARY • EMPLOYEE AWARDS Deborah A. Davis, an amateur pho­ tographer from Portland, Oregon, was chosen as one o f 20 winners in the OshKosh “ Discover the G reat O ut­ doors” national photo contest spon­ sored by Sears, Roebuck and Co. The theme, “ Discover the Great Outdoors,” inspired photographers from all 50 states to focus on their favorite visions of the great outdoors. D avis’ winning photo is o f the side o f Dog M ountain, in the Colum bia River G orge, covered in purple, yellow and red wildflowers. “ Here, Mother Nature has blessed us with one of her most brilliant displays o f color and form ,” com m ented Davis. Davis, 26, has practiced photogra­ phy for 8 years. “ As an outdoor enthu­ siast, photography is a way to bring nature home and an excuse to explore new places,” she said. “ My current dream is to go trekking to N epal.” W ith her camera, o f course. “ People interpreted ‘the great outdoors’ in very different w ays” said Stephen Ross, national manager for productdevelopm ent, m en’s apparel at Sears. “ For instance, among the sub­ jects o f the twenty winning photos were a snow-covered desert in Arizona, a century-old grist mill, T exas’ El C api­ tan in the moonlight and a m idw estem sunflower. A few entries were even of people wearing OshKosh clothing while enjoying ‘the great outdoors’ ” Each o f the 20 finalists received more than $400 in prizes including OshKosh m en’s sportswear and Sir Edmund Hillary camping equipment from Sears, membership in The Nature Conservancy, a wildlife and w ilder­ ness preservation organization, and a one-year subscription to USA Today. The winning photos may be used in Sears store displays and advertising. The grand prize winner, Dr. De- lores Fernandez, o f Champaign, 111., also won a week-long trip for two to The Nature Conservancy owned and- operated Pine Butte G uest Ranch in Choteau, Mont. OshKosh m en’s sportswear, sold exclusively at Sears, sponsored the contest to celebrate the natural beauty o f A m erica’s wilderness and wildlife. More than 3,000 contest entries were received before the Dec. 31,1990 dead­ line. Contest judges included art direc­ tors, photographers and photo editors. 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