butterfly effect

A few years ago, when I still worked at my last corp job I was taking a class on the software we were using. There were only 5 or 6 of us together with the instructor, so we all got to know each other a little bit. One of the guys was from Albany and he probably doesn't even remember me, but he left this big ripple effect on my life.

And it's always been like that - when I look all the way back into the past I see how very casual encounters have affected me profoundly. Do you know what I am talking about?

After we spoke briefly I found out that he owns a small airplane with his buddy and all they do with their free time is fly around, and they even get to help people "by bringing donor organs here, or shipping something there". Sounded like a fun lifestyle and even while still there in the classroom I realized that it was a big sign for me to actually do what I have been planning to do for months - stop by a local flight school and get that "check ride" flight. It all got very complicated because I wasn't a citizen, but at the end I flew and I signed up for a private pilot course.

Before we bought a house and moved up north they made me take some ground school lectures, where I met a very good friend of mine. He, in turn, had a profound impact on my life by introducing me to works of some pretty fantastic people - Yanni, for instance. Studying their work inspired me to try and reach for something bigger in my life. That "something" certainly required taking more risks than it was typically necessary.

And here I am, living a life I wasn't even dreaming of - photographing for a living, running my own business, having a schedule that only I create, putting as much effort into projects as I want to or am able to (depends on the level of interest, of course, and /likely/ a compensation, heheh), the list is long. I'm counting my blessings every day. I commute when I want to, instead of every day. I decide whether to say "yes" or "no"... most importantly - I spend more time with my son, and get to take him "to work" as much as necessary.

And I have my ambitions back into place where they belong! I believe that everyone must have a dream. A big dream if not many of them. We shouldn't get stuck in one place for many-many years. That just gets us nowhere personally and as a society. Don't you think?

Don't mean it to sound too big though - this is just a blog...

I enjoy helping people reach for their dreams. It is inspiring to watch someone stretch themselves, take another little step closer, try something more challenging or different.

My new friend Melinda did this make up. In my opinion it isn't too much of a big deal to shoot beauty. The right face, the right light... but the make up is a lot of work. She can spend half a day easily working on something very special. These took shorter time, of course, but it's still a lot of work for the make up artist. And you should have seen ALL of the stuff that she brought with her to the studio. A lot of pounds of stuff...

I'm just so happy I can be there and help her a little bit with her dream!

Way to go girl!