It occurred to me that April is nearly half over, and I’ve been on exactly one photo walk this month.  One!   The photo above was taken at the same time as the spider web from my “Detour” post.  This is the fog that made me late for work.

I’ve been busy, though.  In a good way.  I decided to drop the precalculus class and take an American Literature class instead.   This class is actually far more time-consuming than the math class, but I’m exponentially happier. I like the homework, and I enjoy going to class and discussing what I’ve read.   Since it’s American Literature, we’ve started with the works of Winthrop, Bradford, and Franklin, with a riveting account from Mary Rowlandson of her Native kidnapping in the late 1600’s. 

I spend a lot of time thinking about their stories.  I think about Bradford’s journey on the Mayflower and how after three months sailing across a stormy ocean they arrived, off course and exhausted.  There was no hotel to check into or a friend’s house at which to stay.  There were no markets, no pubs, no nothing – except a vast and untamed wilderness.  They had to build their shelter and plant their food.  No one today can possibly imagine what “work” really meant…or courage for that matter. 

I’ve found these stories both inspiring and motivating.  Suddenly, I’m filled with a renewed energy about my own future and what I want out of it.  I want to write.  I want to pursue photojournalism.  And I can.  And if I want to change my mind and do something else.  I CAN. 

I consider that no matter what I decide to do, it will never be as difficult as navigating an ocean in a broken ship and building an entire country.  Anything is possible.