I’m on fire! (Or how I spent Children’s Day)

My beautiful sister, Natalia

Dear reader,

I’m ecstatic. I couldn’t be happier! Yesterday was a wonderful day! I don’t have enough words to describe how absolutely extraordinary it was. So I’ll skip any introduction and I’ll just get to the point…

So: the day began pretty ordinary. I knew two of my friends had their birthday yesterday (what a happy coincidence to have your birthday on 1^st of June). Sooo I got on Facebook and I sent to each of them a “Happy Birthday” message. One of them, M (I didn’t ask his permeation to give his name, so I’ll just call him M), replied very fast and he asked me to call him, ‘cause he wanted to ask me something. Now, I figured that he wanted to invite me to his birthday party or something. That was the only thing I could’ve think of. What else could he possibly want, except that?!... So I called him. After the “hey girl, how are ya? Long time, no see!” typical beginning (and he was right, because we haven’t seen each other in two years… exactly two years!) and a lot of non-exciting news about our boring existence in the calm, lent and bohemian Cypriot lifestyle, he says:

-        -  Listen, can I ask you for a favor?

-        -  Sure man! Tell me!

-        -  Can I borrow your strobe…

-        -  … Sure you can…

-        -  ‘Cause I have two baptisms this weekend and I really need one…

-        -  No problem!

And after that, in my excitement, I forgot about anything and everything and I started to interrogate the poor fellow about about what camera he uses, when did he buy it, was he seriously thinking about going pro? Was he… But before I could finish the interrogation he said we should probably have a coffee and talk about it… I still couldn’t stop! I didn’t get it! I was still under the mesmerizing thought of him going pro! You might wonder why was I so excited for! Well, I’ll tell ya!... ‘Cause it’s easier to have a business partner than to fly solo… Soooo, I was planning to ask him to try to collaborate or something. He said again “Listen, why don’t you let me call you in the after noon and then we’ll talk and arrange to go for a coffee or something?...” Ya! Right! Like I could wait so many hours! And somehow, my personal Jiminy Cricket managed to scream from the top of his lungs: “Shut the hell UP!!!!! Let him be! He said he wants to go for a coffee! Just take that and… SHUT UP!”… So I heard Jiminy, I thanked him, and I did shut the hell up so I wouldn’t scare the poor fellow.

11:30AM… 11:45AM… 12:01PM… God! Time flies like a shoot-in-the-wing-hen when you’re “having fun” waiting and wondering and pondering and thinking again… and making absolute insane plans about things that will happen like “what name should I choose for the studio?... hmmmm…” Hellooooo! What studio?! You didn’t even had the coffee with the guy! You didn’t even asked him if he even wants to get associated with you!... But still! SunDrop Photography? Would it sound like a pro?... hmmm…

God I’m insane sometimes! But I’m sooooo happy. Because I felt like that was the help that I needed; that was the sign that I’ll do a great job! Nobody has to tell me that I’ll succeed; I already know it! And it feels great to know that it’s all in your hands. It’s great to know that you were right: if you grab any opportunity and if you give all that you have, you can’t be wrong. I felt that it was a kind of gift for all my efforts. I just didn’t pay any attention to any of the people that told me what a fool I am. It will work! I know it!... Sometimes people don’t know when to stop taking care of you!

Anyway at 1PM I left the office and I went to the bus stop to go home. I was pacing up and down the bus station making plans for the future when something unexpected and unrelated to photography happened. I’ll tell you about it just because it was very special. So I was in the bus station with another three girls: one of them, a teen that was listening to some music, and two other girls that were carrying some shopping bags. All of a sudden, a big 4X4 car pulls over, and from the inside, a lady in her ‘30s talks something with the girls with the sopping bags and I see these two girls hopping into the car. I was thinking that maybe they knew each other so I resumed my train of thoughts… Yet the lady moves the car another 2m towards me and the teenager, and she says:

-          Hey there, I’m going to St. Nicolas roundabout. Do you girls want a lift?

-          … aaa… aaa… well...

-          Oh ‘common! If it’s in my way why not giving you a lift! Come, hop in…

So I did! I hopped in like I was hypnotized. The teen girl said she was going further away and she thanked the lady but she said she will wait for the bus. I was trying to understand why somebody would give me a ride close to my home if she didn't know me?... And I was thinking how could I compensate her for such a nice gesture. Obviously giving her money was out of the question because it would have offended her… I didn’t finish this thought when she said “I’m on my way to pick up my son from school and I was thinking that in the bus stop there is no cover from the sun… And it’s so hot today… And you were waiting there in the sun on such a hot day… It’s a shame people don’t give rides, when they can, to other people, especially on such a hot day like today…”

I was way too impressed by such a small and insignificant gesture to be able to say anything. I just sit there, in the car, and I started thinking: we live in such a jungle! We treat each other with such a lack of respect and confidence! We are so scared of each other for no reason what so ever. Why should we presume the worst and not the best out of somebody’s character? And I bet some of you expected bad ending story (or something along the lines of that)… Hell! I looked at her with suspicion too! so I can only understand you! But then I felt so ashamed of my first reaction, and in the same time so happy. This lady gives me hope that there are still good people in the world…

I got down from her car in front of the fire station, I thanked her and I started walking towards my hose, that was 500m from that point. I kept thinking what a nice gesture that lady did, and that all she wanted was to help. Now, as I said before, sometimes I’m insane! “Cu-cu” on the had! I make some connections in my mind that even Freud would need a serious amount of time to put a diagnostic on me... All of a sudden I thought that it was sooo wrong of me asking any favor from M! I should just give him the strobe and that’s it! Why shouldn’t I make a good deed without asking anything in return. Theeeeennnn I started to think that my Roman-Catholic education works it’s evils on my mind and makes me feel guilty for no apparent reason (yes, that is characteristic for the roman-catholic education: to make you feel guilty for things you didn’t do! Very efficient in school! Makes you confess… well… anything!... and aside from that, the simple thought that you suffer… it’s a blessing; it means you’re on the right path…). A bit confused about all this I got home and I decided to clean the house, activity that would also make me feel tired and make me forget about all this nonsense. (When my thoughts are jogging through my head and each of that thought is singing a different song… well you can imagine what chaos is in there… but I am proud of it, haha).

I’ll just fast-forward to the point of the meeting ‘cause the rest is pretty boring (me going back and forth about how soon I’ll get my first customer, if I scared M or not with my enthusiasm, if I should rent a house where I can make a studio at the ground floor and live on the first floor… and all sort of stupid stuff like that).

We met at a coffee shop on the Sea Front and we had a very long talk about what happened in the past two years (not much for any of us) and mostly about photography. Apparently he started last year… so there we were: two nubs encouraging one another and building dreams over a very sweet and not that cold glass of frappe… At a certain moment I got an idea and I just said it without even thinking:

-          Hey M, can I be absolutely bold and ask you something?

-          Sure…

-          1. Would you mind if I would ask you and C (his fiancé – again, I’m not naming anyone) to pose for me and let me make you an engagement album? You know, like a wedding present, ‘cause I don’t know what else I could get you…

-          Sure girl! C would be more than happy, I’m sure…

-          And can I use the photos in my portfolio?

-          Sure, no problem…

-          And 2. … Can I come with you in the weekend… to be your second photographer… at the…

-          Sure girl… No problem, I have no problem with that.

Yes ladies and gentlemen! I did it! I asked The Question! I had the courage to ask if I can be a second photographer pro bono! You have no idea how proud I am! I don't have words to describe the happiness of having my first assignment! And more than that: I am so happy that he trusted me to take me with him! It's absolutely fantastic!

So! In conclusion: this weekend I'll have my first assignment as a second photographer aaaaand I have a new associate in my plan of going pro! I promise I'll keep you informed regarding any new gigs and I'll let you know how it went!

Till then, lots of kisses and thank you for reading this!

PS: I'm not exactly sure when, but yesterday, at a certain moment, "Skies on Fire" (Sarah Howells) got into my had and it didn't wanted to get out since then... I wonder how long till I'll start spinning around with one arm extended and the hand tight in a fist, and the other one holding an imaginary microphone singing "I Want it All"... Stay tuned for any updates on the 5 o'clock news. Thanks again