“Your own reflection can be your greatest muse. Do not be afraid to capture the moment, to see the beauty in yourself, and to share your story with the world. Every selfie is a celebration of you.” – MJ Martin
Do not be afraid to take a selfie; it is a way of saying, ‘I see the value in myself right here, right now.’ – MJ Martin
ODE TO THE SELFIE
Oh, Selfie, noble art of the self-aware,
A fleeting glimpse, a moment you can share.
No painter’s brush, no sculptor’s patient hand,
Just glass and light to help us understand.
From quiet moments to a bustling crowd,
A silent story, spoken not aloud.
A tilted head, a smile, a knowing gaze,
Captured essence in these modern days.
Some call you vain, a mirror to the soul’s excess,
But I see courage in this digital address.
To find your light, to frame your chosen truth,
A celebration of our fleeting youth.
So lift the phone, and let the lens embrace
The honest lines, the beauty on your face.
For in each shot, a thousand stories lie,
A single moment, caught beneath the eye.
About the Author:
Michael Martin is the Vice President of Technology with Metercor Inc., a Smart Meter, IoT, and Smart City systems integrator based in Canada. He has more than 40 years of experience in systems design for applications that use broadband networks, optical fibre, wireless, and digital communications technologies. He is a business and technology consultant. He was a senior executive consultant for 15 years with IBM, where he worked in the GBS Global Center of Competency for Energy and Utilities and the GTS Global Center of Excellence for Energy and Utilities. He is a founding partner and President of MICAN Communications and before that was President of Comlink Systems Limited and Ensat Broadcast Services, Inc., both divisions of Cygnal Technologies Corporation (CYN: TSX).
Martin served on the Board of Directors for TeraGo Inc (TGO: TSX) and on the Board of Directors for Avante Logixx Inc. (XX: TSX.V). He has served as a Member, SCC ISO-IEC JTC 1/SC-41 – Internet of Things and related technologies, ISO – International Organization for Standardization, and as a member of the NIST SP 500-325 Fog Computing Conceptual Model, National Institute of Standards and Technology. He served on the Board of Governors of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) [now Ontario Tech University] and on the Board of Advisers of five different Colleges in Ontario – Centennial College, Humber College, George Brown College, Durham College, Ryerson Polytechnic University [now Toronto Metropolitan University]. For 16 years he served on the Board of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), Toronto Section.
He holds three master’s degrees, in business (MBA), communication (MA), and education (MEd). As well, he has three undergraduate diplomas and seven certifications in business, computer programming, internetworking, project management, media, photography, and communication technology. He has completed over 60 next generation MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) continuous education in a wide variety of topics, including: Economics, Python Programming, Internet of Things, Cloud, Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive systems, Blockchain, Agile, Big Data, Design Thinking, Security, Indigenous Canada awareness, and more.