Career Plan #12

I have a long list of secret (and some not-so-secret) ambitions* when it comes to my career:

*Note: These are not listed in any particular order of importance

1. Environmental Educator
2. Behavioral Therapist
3. Founder of an Applied Behavior Analysis Nature Center
4. Bookstore Owner
5. Baker and owner of the most fabulous Bakery that can be found next to my bookstore
6. Coffeeshop Owner that can be found next to my bookstore and bakery
7. Professional trip leader--taking people on trips all over the world
8. Teacher
9. Hot air balloon pilot
10. Educational Campaigns Consultant
11. Librarian
12. Professional Photographer
13. Park Ranger
14. Self-sustaining farmer
15. Dress-maker
16. Zoo Keeper
17. Animal Trainer


And, the list goes on.


In recent days, I have been thinking a lot about #12: Professional Photographer. Last week, I had the amazing opportunity of doing an engagement photo shoot for some of my friends who will be getting married this summer. It was amazingly fun! I was completely blown over when they asked me to, because I have never been commissioned as a photographer for something like this before.

Photography has been a hobby of mine since I took a class in High School. I was introduced to the art of film photography, learned how to develop my own photos, and a little about the ins and outs of subject, composition, etc. I took ownership of my parents' old film SLR. All the way through college, I would take it out, dust it off, load it up and take some photos.

Then, for my graduation present, I decided I wanted to invest in a Digital SLR. It's only been six months, but I've taken more pictures on my camera than I had in the previous 20 years! I couldn't be happier with it.

Using my lens to look the world has helped me to see it differently. Pictures capture moments, and preserve them, moments that may otherwise be overlooked. They see beautiful symmetry in staircases, split second emotions expressed on faces, and can make the most ordinary items into items of interest.

Photos interpret and express the world we live in.

There are a lot of people this week who have said to me, "Have you ever considered making a career change? You could totally make it as a photographer!" And so I have found myself drifting off to the "what if" land of Some Day.

What if, some day, I did become a professional photographer?

Until then, I will thrive in my hobby and keep taking pictures and take ownership of the title "Aspiring Photographer". And now I leave  you with a selection of photos from the a aforementioned photo shoot.

 

Who's line is it anyway?

I used to love watching "Who's Line is it Anyway?". It was the show that could perk me up no matter what--I always ended up rolling on the floor laughing. For those of you who may not be familiar, it's a comedy "game"show that has one basic premise: improv. Four actors and comedians would get up on stage and spend half an hour making fools of themselves by thinking skits up on the spot. I'm not going to lie, I always envied their ability to make it up as they went along.

Thinking on my feet has never really been a strong point for me. I am a PLANNER. There needs to be a thought out plan, as far as I'm concerned. Not surprisingly, I was never the student who could write a speech last minute for class and then get up and make it sound like I had spent days on it. Though I do pride myself in being able to participate in spurts of witty banter, I've never really been able to seriously improvise.

That is, until I became a behavioral therapist.

My job requires me to pull things out of a hat constantly. I need to be able to turn on a dime and change what I do based on Monkey's moods and responses. As a creature of routine and habit, Monkey often gets stuck in a rut if we do too many similar things in the same order too often. It's my job to prevent that from happening.

It was really hard at first to keep a good flow in a therapy session. I would be so focused on the individual activities, that once we finished one, I wouldn't be ready for the next and would be left sputtering "I...um...uh...let's...uh...do.........THIS!". And somewhere around the second "uh", I would have lost Monkey's attention completely.

I guess with time and practice, I've learned how to be improvisational. Because sometimes, no matter how much I plan, the session never turns out the way I expect it to. And those are the sessions that tend to be the best.

Second goodbyes and hellos.

Saying goodbye for the second time is not as hard as saying goodbye the first time. Because the first time you say it, you don't know how it's going to turn out...

I said goodbye for the first time in July. Goodbye to friends and family as I stepped into the next season of my life. I was leaving those who had held me up and lived life with me for the previous four years or more. I was saying goodbye for an undetermined amount of time. Ripping myself away was one of the hardest things I've done.

And then I had the joyous opportunity to go home, to say hello again. Three blissful weeks were spent hugging and kissing and talking and reacquainting myself with the loved ones I had left. There were lots of smiles, lots of laughs, and lots of stories. Old traditions relived and new ones started. I was welcomed back, and it was wonderful.

But then I had to say goodbye again. The second one, as painful as it was, was easier than the first. Having already left once, and knowing that I would, in fact, survive, it wasn't as bad to do it again. Because I know that the next time I come back, there will be hugging and kissing and talking and reacquainting and smiles and stories. And until then, there will be emails and letters and video chats.

First hellos aren't bad, but they aren't always the most comforting things. Second hellos are awesome.

Most won't be surprised to hear that it isn't too hard for me to make friends. Everywhere I go, I end up finding people to talk to, do things with, and just be around. But it does take a little effort. So when I got here the first time, I had exactly four friends (I live in their house and two of them are under the age of seven). There were a lot of lonely walks and adventures to explore the city. It took some time, as it always does, to meet new friends.

Coming back, I got to say hello again. I was welcomed back with familiar and friendly faces, inquiries about my life, and expressions of joy at my return. And now, whenever I go from here to there, I get to say many hello agains.

With every goodbye, there's bound to be a hello around the corner.

Reflections of a long flight.

An airplane ride is a fascinating and truly unique social situation. Hundreds of strangers shut themselves up in tiny seats for hours on end, eating bad food and watching less than desired movies. There's no where to go and nothing to do but pass the time with books, music, and crossword puzzles.

Sometimes you are able to make a friend with your seat mate for the few hours you have together. You go through the motions of small talk and share the leftover dessert you don't want to eat. This comes in handy when you are forced to displace them to relieve your bowels and the stiffess in your legs again. You may even be lucky enough to hear a little of their story.

As you glance around, you see the zombie effect take over your fellow passengers as they shift around trying to get comfortable enough to fall into another dozing stupor. This is one thing you share in common.

As the characters flit in and out of the movie screen, you look at your watch and realize that the eternity it took to get you this far from solid ground is barely half over. So you close your eyes or pull out a book--something, anything, to continue passing the time in limbo from here to there. Which happens to be the only other commonality you share with the hundreds in your midst: where you are going and where you have been.

A Photo-a-Day 2011

ANNOUNCING: A Photo-a-Day 2011

I have decided to give myself a challenge this year. I am going to attempt to take and post one picture every day this year. This is very exciting for me, and I hope that you will be excited too. As I was walking around today, considering this challenge, I realized there are going to be two main difficulties for me:

1. Remembering to take a picture every day. I'm sure there will be some days that I completely forget and you'll be seeing pictures of my neighborhood at 11 p.m. I promise not to cheat and use pictures from days other than the one it's supposed to be.
2. Choosing a picture, out of the hundreds that I will inevitably take on some days.

But a challenge is a challenge for a reason.

So here it is folks, Photo #1 out of 365

Find the rest of the photos here: www.keepingthewordsaway.blogspot.com

January 1, 2011. Taken in Little India. Hello monsoons.