NYTimes Mag: What they thought then and what they think now.

I'm sure you're guilty of taking that magazine you weren't finished reading from a waiting room you've been in when you had to leave or when your dentist/doctor/gyno/shrink was ready to see you. I'm guilty of it. But what's kind of sad is that I took a magazine from one of my best friend's houses. I don't even think her mom got to read it considering it came that morning with her copy of The New York Times.

It hadn't occurred to me that NYTimes published a magazine. I don't really keep up with the time, or The Times, for that matter. But what struck me about this issue were the great stories inside of it. And the fact that James King (who now goes by Jaime - I'm sorry, but I kind of like it when girls have guy names...it's cool. I wish she hadn't changed that) was on the cover. There was one photo of her when she was 16 and another taken of her currently.

NYTimes Mag from Aug. 21, 2011 issue;
taken by Nan Goldin

The cover story featured nine photographs from the mag's three-decade long running of news stories they covered over the years. The subjects, who were captured years ago, were now captured in real-time (some by the same photographer who captured them before) and where they were these days. From a 9/11 fireman to a teen mom, the photographs both old and new told stories of the subjects in a poignant way.

Although all of them have gotten older and are doing different things with their lives, their pasts have certainly helped mold them into who they are today. What was a common theme of this cover story titled 'Time Lapse' was what they thought back then and how they think now.

I was intrigued by King's story the most, considering she grew up a different way than normal teenagers. And what she thought then certainly is not how she thinks now...

"At 16 years old, you think you know everything, and then all of a sudden you realize that you don't know anything at all. That is the best way to explain what I was feeling at that time. I had grand illusions of what I thought modeling would be, as any young girl would. I was working with these masters in fashion and photography and learning from brilliant, creative people from around the world. But at the same time, I didn't realize the weight of responsibility that I would carry, to have the same expectations put upon you as a minor that an adult would have. I was just a kid; I didn't realize the freedom of youth that I was going to be trading in for success. I became very successful, and I didn't know how to that handle that. I felt like some people wanted a piece of me, wanted to take something from me. I felt that they wanted to sexualize me. In hindsight, I can see that and know the truth of it, but at that time I didn't know that's what they were doing. I just thought, Oh, I'm suddenly successful and all my dreams are coming true, but why do I feel so scared? I experimented with drugs; I was young and wanted to 'fit in.' I quickly realized this wasn't the path for me, and I haven't touched any drug since I was 17. I'm an actor now on an upcoming show on the CW, 'Hart of Dixie.' I wish that I would have known how to have a career and be a kid at the same time. I think for the fashion industry that can happen only if they have a union for the young models as they do for the young actors."


To read what King thought then, read Jennifer Egan's article from the February 1996 issue, "James Is a Girl."