I’ve now been doing this thing that I do for nearly 2 years. There have been ups and downs, and a huge learning curve, but all-n-all, I’d say it’s coming along. I recently crossed over 5000 followers on FB (plus another 3000+ likes), and that’s really surprising to me (and hey, sincerely, thanks to all my people). I’ve made hundreds, maybe thousands, of new friends and acquaintances. I’ve made a lot of people happy – you should see their faces! And, of course, I’m trying to give back to my community, whether it’s patching up a crashed motorcycle rider, helping a girl with a flat tire, picking up trash, or taking care of the community’s stray pupper.
I remember when I first started thinking about this sudden career left turn, I told someone whose opinion I greatly valued what my business plan was. At this time, I had already registered the domain, upgraded my camera equipment, and started getting all the other pieces in place. Her response – which was actually unexpected – was, “I’m proud of you”. And she meant it! She wasn’t being facetious as she often was. It was genuine. Now, that’s four words I’m generally not accustomed to hearing strung together like that (and never from her), and I remember it so clearly. It was at the Chinese place, and “The Flintstones” was playing on their ancient TV (and the thought of Chinese people trying to learn English by watching Fred and Barney amuses me to no end). Anyway, it was just one of those perfect moments, and when things are tough out there, or the road is quiet, or it’s hot or whatever, I remember that day and those words, and I get my second wind.
“I’m proud of you”. Yeah, I guess I’m proud of me, too. At least as much as I’m capable of being.