I'm just going to warn y'all now, that this is a rambling post!
So, here in Central Texas this weekend it's supposed to be over 100 degrees. We're talking 107 today, 108 tomorrow, and 109 on Monday! It. Is. Hot. And it's a dry heat with no breeze, so when you go outside, it's like you're walking into a baking kiln. Because of the heat, everything I needed to get done today I did before noon, which included a round of headshots for Chef RL Cubit of Central Texas Culinary Solutions (www.centraltexaschef.com), a family trip to our local library to pick up some books, and a stop at the grocery store for dinner and some staples. Anyone else think you've picked up everything you need at the store during the week, only to find out Saturday morning you were out of something you use on a daily basis and didn't notice (i.e., creamer for my coffee and dog food)?!?! The next few days will be spent editing Chef Cubit's photos so he can prepare for the school season to start, which is boom time for his personal chef services business. I'll share a few when I'm finished to give you all an idea of what to expect during a headshot session with me.
I'm also super-excited to start working on editing the photos from my trip to NYC at the end of June with my husband. I can't believe it's been a month since we returned - we had so much fun, and it feels like we were just there, getting lost in Chinatown and exploring the sights. I can't wait to go back and visit - I'll share some highlights soon.
Today I want to rant a little about something that I initially thought would be off-topic and boring for y'all. But when I think about it, it's totally relevant, and not just to my situation. It recently came up in a group conversation that Austin is becoming super-expensive to live in and some jobs pay much less than what is necessary to cover the expenses to live and work in the city. This is something I have known for a while. When we first moved to Austin, we lived within the city limits in a small one bedroom apartment for just under $1,000/month. It's pretty much impossible to find something for less than $1,200 a month for that size now. We knew Austin was booming - that's why we moved here in 2013. Jobs were (and still are) plentiful. It's culturally-diverse and the opportunities are endless. But after a year of living in the city, we predicted it would soon become unaffordable, so we relocated to a small, neighboring city while we could still afford to. We now own an energy-efficient, decent-sized house with a yard in a nice neighborhood that we bought brand new and we pay less for it each month than most people in Austin pay for rent. The downside is the commute. The upside is the monthly payment and the privacy. My point is that we made choices. In the group conversation, some people stated they didn't have a choice but to live in the city and work several jobs in order to afford to do so. And I have a problem with that. We all have choices. They may not be easy choices, and there may be sacrifices you have to make, but there is always a choice. We moved to Texas from Virginia Beach because the economy is better here and there was the potential to get a better job with more stable income. Was it easy to pack up a Uhaul and a Prius and two dogs and drive all the way to Texas over the course of two days? Heck no! But we made the choice.
To tie this in with photography, I thought about the choices I make, being a working mom with a side job and a two year old son, trying to also launch my own photography business. I could make the choice to drop my job as a photographer with The Wildflower Barn so I have more time to spend with my son on weekends during the wedding season. I could give up my entrepreneurial dream. But what kind of example would I be setting for him? And what kind of quality of life would I have, if I gave up my creative outlets? I want my son to know that it's not the amount of time we spend together, it's HOW we spend our time. I want him to respect that his mother works very hard to provide for him and to care for herself emotionally and creatively, so that she is available for him. I want to teach him how to make choices that enable his dreams to fall into place, and I want him to be comfortable with failure, because it's going to happen and it's not something to fear.
You see, when I hear people say they don't have a choice, what I hear is, "I'm too afraid to choose." Because let's face it...when you're faced with a decision, you don't know what the result of your choice will be. There's a certain amount of inherent risk in choosing between two options. Your choice could end horribly...or it could lead to success and adventure. It's all in your mindset. It takes a certain amount of bravery and maybe even calculated recklessness to make a choice. Some people would rather ride a wave of comfort than face the UNKNOWN and the possibilities that lurk in its depths. So, I say to you - get in there! Kick off those shorts, tie back that hair, and jump into that icy darkness. Challenge those sharks and be fearless and ferocious and seize your dreams! Don't be afraid to fail. At least if you fail, you know that you tried. Because the only thing worse than not doing that thing you wanted to do, is REGRETTING that you didn’t do that thing you wanted to do.