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So, I did a thing…
So, I got engaged to this amazing woman! I have ran, walked, hiked, and crawled on my hands and knees hoping to one day find that other piece of me and me her other piece. I am over joyed to announce that I finally found that woman. It has been a long and treacherous road to find her, but I thank God every day that I did. She is a blessing from God himself. She knows me better than I know myself already. I can’t thank God enough for her. I hope that she will one day become part of the discussion on my blog or I will create one for her.
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I’m Back…
I realized the other day that I have not posted to my blog in almost a year. That is pathetic for someone that used to blog almost daily! I recently paid for another year on this server, so I’m going to make the most of it. I will be posting regularly. It may not be groundbreaking content, but it will be something during this trying time.
Until then, continue to follow the Wuhan sheep.
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Perfect Storm
Imagine yourself the captain of a boat with a group of friends and family. You are caught out in a torrential storm of epic proportions. You’ve never seen anything like it in all of your years sailing amongst the waves. Amid the midst, rain, hail, and confusion, you see a titanic wave that you know will surely swallow your small boat and crew whole and push you to the deepest depths of the seaa where the souls of sailors of yore reside.
Everyone on the boat screams that you should turn the boat around at full throttle and try to outrun the wave. Your own weary mind starts playing the odds of whether you’d survive or not. Everyone on board begs you to turn around before it is too late.
But, your heart, soul, and every fibre of your being tells you to go full throttle straight into the waive and crest its top before it collapses on your small ship. Your family and friends begin to pull you away from the captains next, but you manage to fight them off. You look straight into the depths of the unforgiving wall that approaches like a lioness, quiet but deadly.
It is here that start the steadfast approach begins. The banging on the captains nest doors and screams do not distract your unending stare. It’s you against the wave. You know it is too late to turn around. You know in your heart that the only way to overcome this wave is to go over it.
There will be times in your life when only you will know what is best for you. Friends and family, though meaning well, will not always know what is right for you. Use their wisdom to help guide your way, but make your own decisions and carve your own path on this crazy planet.
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Runnin’
I’ve been out for my second run of the day. Hang on, let me catch my breath…
The crystalline ice and snow was still glistening this morning, as I set out on a sunrise run. I love to run and walk. I can’t run as far as I used to be able to, but I still enjoy the challenge of gasping for air. I do my greatest thinking and problem solving, when I’m walking.
I realised something that a friend told me the other day was dead on accurate. You can’t make everyone happy. I went to college the first time for several reasons, but mainly because I was sick of being labelled the dumb hill billy. I finished that and was then the high tech lanky redneck. I still wasn’t good enough, so I went back to college and studied Criminal Justice.
I graduated the top of my class. I worked out a LOT. I worked in the field for several years and excelled at every challenge I was given. Then, I was labelled a dumb flat foot even though I knew more about the law and history than some of my professors and had an above average tested IQ. I still wasn’t good enough.
I spent time with the rich and powerful, and I was back to being a hill-billy. I begrudgingly played that role, but there comes a point when you have to be comfortable within yourself. I’ve been running for years, running from myself. I’m not rich, but I am better than the rich in many ways. My grandfather always said to be righteous in my indignation.
I am still learning. Life is full of lessons. People will try to put you in a box. Don’t let them. Be yourself. You can’t make everyone happy. I still try to impress every freaking day, but that is just part of who I am. 🙂
Be yourself. People that can’t appreciate that don’t deserve to be around you.
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Free Agent
A camera has been my constant companion for over a decade. I started my own photography business in 2015. As expected, it was slow at first but it gradually picked up. By the winter of that year, it had slowed down to a trickle. I was desperately seeking work, and quite frankly, income. The only things free in life is the air we breath and light from the glorious sun.
At that time, I started working as an IT Consultant for my families business. I enjoyed working for them. I love my family and was grateful to get out of the corporate environment I had been in for years. I sorted every IT problem that I could and wasn’t really needed on a daily basis, so I wished them well and am now a free agent.
When a person works for someone else, their income is usually consistent. When you work for yourself, it is rarely consistent. It was time to go. I’m a much stronger and better person, when I have to be quick on my feet. I don’t have the option to sit back and pick and choose projects or clients. I am willing to work with anyone. I don’t have the benefit of a large surplus of cash to sit on, and I don’t believe in taking welfare from the government when I’m able to work. In other words, I better get to work!
What do I do?
I am a landscape, architectural, and portrait photographer. I cover several areas of photography. You have to today in order to survive. I sell landscape photographs on several stock photo sites, but I also do local portrait sessions, weddings, and events.
I also do photo retouching that usually consist of removing blemishes and color correction. I have been a constant user of Photoshop since the days of MS-DOS.
With the help of friends, I produce a weekly podcast about life, liberty, and the unending pursuit of happiness. That consist of setting up mics, setting up and managing the software and settings, audio editing in Adobe Audition, and publishing on the site as well as producing a video version for youtube in Premiere Pro CC. The podcast taught me about time management and logistics. At one time, we had co-hosts from the East Coast of the US, Ireland, and Australia. As you can imagine, managing the time table and getting everyone to show up at the same time in three different time zones can be a nightmare.
In addition, I have also written and published five travel photo books. Four of these are about Ireland, a project that took years to complete. I am still working on the last piece of the puzzle, a book of my adventures across the Emerald Isle and the misadventures I managed to get myself into over a decade.
My academic background is varied. I started out majoring in IT Security. I love all forms of tech, so it was right up my alley. After a few years, however, I started to hate the idea of spending the rest of my life in a dark room staring at monitors. I love the outdoors too much to dedicate the majority of my remaining days in a cubicle or server room. That may sound vain to some, but it is a matter of choice. I passed every class and certs with an “A”, so it wasn’t a matter of failing. I was minoring in Art at the same time.
At that time, my family was having some problems, so I did somewhat of a 180 and changed my major to Criminal Justice. I minored in Forensics, so there was still technology involved. I graduated with honors in less than two years. It was a great decision. I had some of the best professors you could ask for. Though we had heated debates, most of them always welcomed debate on the Constitution.
