Of Dreams and Plot Twists

 

    Once upon a time I wanted to be a journalist. It started during Hurricane Andrew when I set up a news desk, receiving my information from our NOAA weather radio. Located over 300 miles north of the eye of the storm, I would go outside to winds still so strong I thought they would lift me off the ground, then return indoors with my umbrella the wind had blown to shreds for the report. 

    The idea of being on the front lines of important historical events, then communicating that with the world seemed thrilling. I majored in communications, honing in on my appreciation for both broadcast and print journalism. 

    With adventure in my soul, I moved overseas to China for a year and wrote a piece for the Sumter County Times, dreaming of all the someday pieces that would follow. 

    Instead, I married my Canadian beau and moved to Ontario. Because...well, love. 

    I couldn't legally work for a Canadian company while awaiting permanent residency, so I found work online with a U.S. company, as a college advisor. The fact that I had any work was a gift - in the days before working from home was commonplace.

    By the time my permanent residency finalized, we were beginning our family, and a new career that would require an internship didn't seem practical. I pivoted to my other passion - photography. I am still thankful for the freedom this job give me, allowing for family-friendly flexibility while still pursuing my passion.

    Some dreams have a way of shapeshifting in ways that accommodate the reality of life. I am thankful that mine has. Writing fiction may not be front-line action work, but the storytelling has the potential to reach the world. 

    My focus has shifted from present to the past, where I can research and create using our history as a canvas and perhaps with years of perspective and experiences, this has the potential of being far better than any of those girlhood dreams.