I love resurrecting this from time to time, with slight modifications. First, it has an important message; second, it’s a cute picture of me.
So many times, I’ve warned people about what they post on social media and always used a sample pic. Innocently taken pictures posted to social media sometimes come back to haunt you in a custody case.
That said, 
I found this picture of me when I was four. I have one of my dad’s cigars in my mouth, which is not good to do in today’s world. My fingers look a little close to the wall outlet, too. The bad thing is, I’ve smoked almost ever since-not good. Of course, I blame my parents as kids do. But I did quit about a few years ago, but that’s not important to this.
We didn’t call it Child Protective Services (CPS) back in those days, but be warned, had CPS, as it exists now, come out after someone reported this, think about it. It would have found we didn’t have heat except for the gas stove in the living room, and sometimes, when it was freezing cold, my mom would light up the gas stove in the kitchen and leave it open in an attempt to bake me. No way to heat a roughly 700-square-foot home, that’s for sure.
Plus, when another child was born, I lost my bedroom, and my parents stuck me in a non-bedroom off the living room that felt during the winter like 34 degrees.
My shirt is buttoned to the top to choke me, and my pants were bought to fit two or three years, which meant I tripped over my pant legs in the beginning until they turned into flood pants. My pants went from a danger hazard to a showing of neglect. I don’t understand why my hair has a skunk look to it. At that age, I was platinum blond.
Yep, someone would have lost custody, or I would have ended up in a series of foster homes for sure. I lucked out. My parents were good, though not perfect. We couldn’t afford certain things, like heat. Well, we had heat; it just didn’t warm the house or my bedroom. Plus, what kid that age doesn’t smoke, right? The point is that innocent and cute things can get turned around.
Seriously, though, be careful about what you post. If you’re on the other side of a case, social media is the first place I will check you out.