What is Wise

At age 16 I had my wisdom teeth removed.  I became sick not long after having surgery and ended up with a nasty infection in the left side of my jaw.  It grew and got worse, but after a late night trip to the doctor I finally began to recover.  A few months passed then much to my surprise, the infection came back interrupting my summer plans of being a junior high camp leader.  I again recovered, but again the infection decided to reoccur—this time a couple weeks before my sister’s winter wedding.  Frustrating as it was, I gained wisdom in battling that infection.  It wasn't just about the physical battle of getting well, but rather the mental battle of fighting for understanding. 

For this self portrait I chose to reflect on that time in my life.  I scanned two of my actual wisdom teeth (yes, I kept them) and layered them over the top of a portrait of my face.  The striped texture comes from the scanner glass.  You may ask why wisdom is questioned.  My answer: I question most everything.  My wisdom teeth ordeal was a growing experience.  I questioned why I was going through that time and sought out what I could learn from my experience.