My dreams WILL come true!

Yesterday I received a private message on FaceBook from an old school friend asking me what my email address was, and said she had something she needed to share with me. She is about to move to move to Japan, and I just figured she came across something from way back in the day, while packing up, and boy was I wrong!

See, I met Becky when she moved to Texas from California when we were in the 5th grade. Although we both took different paths later in life, we still have always managed to stay in some sort of contact. Becky took photography classes in high school, and I was a photo subject of hers when I was like 16 (many years ago) and I quit high school. She went on to become a Longhorn at the University of Texas in Austin, and she was going to be a profession photo journalist, I think, I don't really remember exactly what her major was. Either way, I have always thought back to that day when I was the main subject of her photos, and how much fun we had, or I had. lol. I remember going to a few different places with her to take pictures of different sorts.

Through the years I have given thought here and there about wanting to be a photographer, but of course I never could afford a nice camera, or the classes to learn the proper technique. I mean hell, you have to have classes to be "professional" right? WRONG! After much reading, I have figured out that there is NOTHING written ANYWHERE, that says you have to have formal training to be a professional photographer. You have to have passion, is what I have figured out. Desire. Want.


I remember the exact moment when I decided that someday, someway, I would somehow, make my dreams come true and become a photographer. It was at Becky's moms house, in the bathroom. Strange I know, but we were in there looking at a picture that Becky had taken at her apartments in Austin (because she never moved back home after college) of a bunch of toilets! Hmm, putting that into words in black and white really sounds funny, but it is the truth. The apartments were doing some remodeling or something and had all these toilets out in the court yard and she seen a great photo op in them. I wish I had a copy of the picture. I fell in love with it and thought it was the coolest thing that I had ever seen. To me, it was a picture that you would see in a home furnishing store or something, and people would buy the hell out of it. I know I would. I love it that much.

Well, I got up this morning and I checked my email because my phone was alerting me that I had 4 new messages, and Becky had sent me a gift certificate for a 2 hour, one on one lesson, photo class. They will help me with whatever I want them to. I was crying like a baby when I read it, and as I was reading the email to the Hubs, I got all choked up again. There is no-way-in-the-world that I will ever be able to repay her for this, or that she could possibly understand how much it means to me, but this is the start to making my dreams come true!

"Tara,

I am so excited that you have gotten so interested in photography! I wanted to help you on your journey, so I found a photo studio in Houston that offers classes and one-on-one lessons. This gift certificate is for a two hour, one-on-one class that will be tailor made for whatever you want. When you call to schedule your class, you should be able to specify with them what you want to spend the time on. I hope you will be able to find a couple of hours for yourself to go! I have been trying to think of a way I could help (beyond what little advice I have been able to give!) and I would repay my teachers poorly if I didn't do something to help someone else. You take beautiful pictures and I think you have real talent with a camera. I hope you will be able to find as much satisfaction and enjoyment in photography as I have. Enjoy the class and be sure to let me know how it goes! As far as I know, there isn't a time limit on it. The contact information is on the gift certificate. The company is called Everyday Photo Class and is located in Houston...not sure exactly where, but Google maps should be able to help on that front.

Becky"

 

 

 Like I said, I will never be able to repay her, but I will PAY IT FORWARD, and I will help someone else in this exact same manner. 

Becky, 

Thank you, a million times over, and please know that I will take this class, and I will hold on to every thing that I learn. You are my reasoning for doing this, and I hope that some day I can be as good as you! 

Love Always, Tara!