False Alarm!

One of my beloved characters has resurfaced and so....we're full steam ahead!!

It's a momentous day -- my 3 main characters are locked, the plan is coming together...
and, oh yes, I am also one year older.

Which means, of course, that it's time to reflect....

There are days when I feel I've acheived so much success in terms of chasing my career dreams. There are others where I feel like a fraud for believing I can make an honest living by chasing people with interesting lives around with a camera! To this day I often don't get the credit I'm due because of how young I look -- at least a good 3-4 years younger than my actual age. I can see how this wouldn't be a huge "difference" when you're 40 or 50, but when people assume you're still in post-secondary or freshly graduated, it's a different story. I feel like I've been (somewhat defensively) telling people I graduated "3 years" ago for years now! Hey, reality-check, Tatyana! You claimed your diploma in 2001... you, my dear, are getting older.

A baby face can be a blessing -- people aren't threatened, they more easily open up to you, and they are shocked and impressed when you speak with a certain level of intelligence (instead of the teen-speak they were expecting).

But a baby face can also mean -- people are reluctant to trust your experience and are more often inclined to immediately try to "help" you and guide you. Leaving you with more to prove, which is just plain more work!

I still get a kick out of meeting people for the first time that I've communicated with entirely via phone and email. The fleeting, slight "Oh!" expression in their eyes when they meet me is classic. I translate it as: "Oh, she's just a kid!" Hey, maybe I've been off all of these years and what I really should be reading in those raised eyebrows is "Oh, she's got a really large head!" You never really know!

Regardless, I am well aware of how blessed I am. And I am grateful for the amazing people who continue to believe in me. You know who you are!

The day that people stop opening their hearts and lives to me and allowing me to share in their amazing journeys is the day that I seek out a new passion. So far, there are enough amazing people out there to keep me going for a long time!

Thank you!

Tatyana