How A Gift From The Heart Changed My Life

I think in every life there are those moments that in some way change lives. For some it may be an inspirational speech or maybe something that is read in a book. For some it may be the day they graduate from college as the first graduate in their family. I had one of these life changing days in September of 2007. Oh I did not attend a Barrack Obama rally thats for sure but I received a gift. My first dslr camera. It was a birthday gift two months early.

I'd had a little point and shoot for a couple of years and took it everywhere I went. I took pictures of landscape and flowers but I had a heck of a time taking pictures of my son playing ball. Its kind of hard walking out on the field to get close enough to get a good picture! At a time in which I least expected it I got this great camera with the best lens I could think of to take pictures of my son playing ball. It was truly given to me as a gift given right from the heart. Just because she wanted me to take some better pictures at football games. I'll never forget it as long as I live.

You might ask yeah but how did that change your life. It's changed it in a way 99% of people would never understand. I am able to see the world in ways I have never seen it before. I see things every single day I would always just pass up as nothing exciting. It allowed me for the first time to express myself for just who I am. Oh I am no great photographer for sure but I do like showing my photos in just the way I see the world. I'd never done that my whole life. I had always looked at life through someone else's eyes. Every move I had made every decision was based on how is this going to make me look? If I do this what is this person going to think? This is the answer I will give to this person because I think this is what they would want to hear. A huge percentage of every move I made was based on that. Making the other person happy with me.

Slowly but surly since that September day that has changed. It's not been easy. Oh I have done things not to make others happy but as I was REALLY enjoying some moment in the back of my head was this voice saying what would this person think or you need to go back to the house now before someone asks to many questions. It took the real enjoyment out of what I was doing in some cases. It is a really stupid way to live trust me. Do you know you really can make out in the parking lot of a Target store at midnight during the busy Christmas season? I mean MAKE OUT people!! IT'S AWESOME!!

I'll never live like that again. Oh I understand there are rules and laws for sure but living to simply make myself look good to someone else is a thing of the past. Notice I did not say I would not do the right thing for someone when that is what is called for but to just make every decision based on if it makes me look good no thanks. I've also learned that when I do that it can hurt the very person I want to hurt the least and as it turns out I hurt them for no reason at all. I once again did not do what I wanted to do and people I have learned a major life lesson from that. No Trucker Steve is going to live a happy productive life making decisions based on what makes Trucker Steve happy.