A photo only shows an instant in the life of a person. They are only visual depictions, so the social context, sound, atmosphere, and mood must be guessed. We have many photos of Shemi's life, and through them we can see she had many moods, her looks changed over the years, she had hundreds of friends, she traveled to exotic destinations, and she did not mind taking goofy pictures. These instants may or may not be representative of her life experience. They may or may not capture the meaning of her life. Some common activities are not seen very often, such as cooking. Shemi hosted many parties for which we do not have photos, or no photos that included her. So far we have not found any photos of her as a child, but maybe these will come. There are precious few photos of Shemi when she lived in Africa. There are just a few of Shemi at work and with her coworkers. Much of Shemi's life is not visible in these photos.
But the photos we have illustrate that she had a rich life, unusual experiences, and a good sense of humor. She was able to travel and experience the abundance of nature and beauty of cultures on all continents. She had numerous "trips of a lifetime." We can see that she knew many people, and most of them were good friends and fans. These photos show the warmth of her smile, though we see other moods as well. We can see that she kept close to family, with visits to family in the US, Africa, Great Britain, and Canada. Family members visited us in San Diego. We can see a sample of people from many backgrounds who came to our home to enjoy a small dinner or to celebrate an occasion with a big party. Shemi was the essential ingredient of all those gatherings. We can see her nurturing our guests with food and hospitality.
Her black-and-white "glamour" photos deserve special mention. Shemi did not like having her photograph taken and would beg me to delete or throw away her photos. So this sitting was the only time she enjoyed a photo session. Our friend Bobbye Leach (aka Bobbye Medina, unfortunately deceased) was living in Los Angeles and took photographs for the portfolios of aspiring actors and actresses. She also worked in the photo department of CBS TV. She had a talent for making her subjects feel special, had a dramatic flair, and knew the technical aspects of photography. This session probably took place in 1983, the year we were married. Bobbye used multiple outfits, hats, and poses to create different moods. These photos captured the dazzling physical beauty of Shemi.
The photos are in essentially random order, and there are no captions to explain the dates or locations. Maybe these will come later. Check back because more photos will be added as I go through my archives and family and friends send additional photos. Please send good photos of Shemi. I hope you enjoy these mostly-wonderful moments in Shemi's spectacular life.
