Life Paths

Tne years ago I snapped this pic of my favorite person as she demonstrated her miniature painting at a school booth during an art festival in town. At eighteen years old she was first chair in the marching band's flute section, and wild about art and music. She'd even won a local art competition and had one of her pieces published. At the time I was a little worried about her; I knew exactly how tough it is to have a career in the arts. In high school I was also similarly obsessed with art and writing verse, participated in competitions (most of which I won) and dreamed of being a painter and poet.

Neither of us followed those paths. My favorite person rediscovered her passion for science a year later at college; I went into the military three months after graduating to escape my family and poverty and found the medical field.

Now I can see that college did for her what the military did for me: create new paths. She's always had more to choose from than I did, but I'm not bitter about that. Writing stayed with me, and eventually helped me translate my experiences into the fiction that would help me become a professional novelist. She's now showing what she can do with the skills and knowledge she's acquired; last week she repaired a robot at her lab. I have no doubt when she's my age she'll have even more accomplishments than I managed.

At times I still think about the girl I was before I went into the military: the passionate poet, the determined artist. Ten years after high school I'd lost the ability to paint along with use of my left hand. Poetry, which had always been my sanctuary from life, quietly faded into the background as I wrote more stories. I never consciously chose my path, but life kept pushing me in that direction. If you'd told me at eighteen that in time my stories would grow into books I wouldn't have believed you. The fiction I wrote back then was just for fun.

Helps that I also now know that I chose the right path to follow, because the success of my writing helped my favorite person go to college to find her path. It's all connected.