mother mary comes to me speaking words of wisdom...

I am listening to a copy of my incredibly talented friend, Darcel's debut concert. It was at the university a few years ago. I found it on my roommate's iPod this afternoon and that night came back to me so clearly. I sat at the ticket table near the entrance and when the concert started, I flipped my chair around and leaned it back against the table to listen with my eyes shut. I have only heard her sing once since then. Its moments like these, when I just want to go run and tell her that I KNOW what she needs to do with her life. She needs to go pursue her music because she is incredible and wonderful and has so much support. But I think she knows this, and yet, last I heard, she's still working 9-5 jobs, singing here and there less often than she should.
And as I thought about this, I laughed because, though I'm not any where Darcel's musical equivalent in photography, there have been moments, more and more frequently, that I am shooting something or working with photos or looking at photos and I think, THIS is what I want to do for the rest of my life. And still, this week finds me handing out resumes to work service jobs...which I enjoy, but maybe not for the rest of my life. I remember the first time I went from thinking that I had fun with photography to thinking that it was a part of me. I was borrowing a friend's camera as I didn't even have an SLR yet, to shoot a battle of the bands concert at the University. It was just for fun, but about the middle of the concert, I realized that when I held that camera up to my eye and saw things through its perspective, I became so focused. Everything became so much more intense - the colors, the sound the movement - and I felt like I was more alert and completely alive than I had ever been.

I can't think of a better reason to do this for the rest of my life.

However, I'm also realizing that this doesn't mean I can't have a good time serving beer and baked brie sandwiches until the rest of my life begins.