Human Caricatures

As I age and others age around me, I've noticed something strange, odd things; a happening of sorts. People's faces become more exaggerated and more defined with lines, shapes, blemishes - natural or otherwise. Our ears and nose continue to grow, while the rest of our face does not. It's a natural course for most species to age, except for alligators and lizards. However, do other species resemble cartoon characters or caricatures in newspapers and magazines?

My face is now filled with more character, but is it necessary for it to be so defined? I come from a country filled with multi-coloured faces from all over the world. I have been fortunate to grow up with an awareness of how different the human face is. BUT, little did I know that coming to a country like Italy, with all its homogeny, that I would encounter faces that seem to be drawn from the hands of a cartoon artist. There are faces that I cannot believe wasn't somehow drawn by a cartoon artist; big flappy ears with long faces and no hair; large, hook noses on round, fat faces surrounded by hair covering one side of the head only. The list is endless. I don't have to make it up. A writer or an artist couldn't imagine anything more different or unusual. I would like to post photos of the people I've met and encountered, however, I wouldn't want to offend any of them. Hence......you will have to use your imagination.

I leave you with this photo of my dad. He was a handsome man  

in his youth. But age has caught up with him. Smoking and a lot

of sun has sped up the aging process.