Yesterday, I posted two blog entries. One for Wordless Wednesday and to give a theme for Attitude of Gratitude, if you wanted to blog yourself. (Along with a bloghop, feel free to join in!) The other concerned the ever popular “bucket list“.

The theme I chose for this week was: Work/School. Obviously we need a little flexibility here since we all have “jobs” even if they don’t necessarily fit onto a resume or come with a paycheck.

I for one have many “jobs”. My kids seem to think the biggest job is ‘taxi driver’. I personally like ‘professional hug giver’, but that’s just me.

One of the things I picked up, at quite a surprise to me, is ‘photographer’. I never really meant for it to become anything other than me loving photos. And scrapbooks. Yet it has become something. While it has become something, I still have personal things I would like to see myself do with photography. I didn’t realize how much until making that bucket list.

It made me think though…

We all have the jobs that we do each and every day. From the laundry and the dishes to whatever brings home the bacon. Are we just punching a time clock and crossing off to-do lists or are we making it meaningful?

Maybe this is a carryover from my “home a haven” thing?

So I thought to myself, how can we make the work we do each day more meaningful? To ourselves or to others. Maybe it is just a simple change in our attitude. Let’s be grateful for what that job means! Let the people we interact with know we are grateful!

It isn’t so hard is it?  My husband makes the odious DC commute each and every day. Actually today was worse, he went to Baltimore. (Huzzah for Veteran’s Day making traffic light! Yay for Federal Holidays!) Since he works outside the home every day, let’s pick on him! Maybe today he can just thank one of his coworkers for delivering on time. And I mean a real thanks, not just an email response stating, “Got it, thanks!” (Though that’s good, too!) How about making sure that you don’t take the last of the coffee? (Not that we drink it, but I know that’s a common workplace occurence.) Take the extra three seconds out of your busy life and prep things for the next person in the break room. They won’t know you did it, but they’ll be super happy!

What about me? Well, I could start by getting these CDs of photographs burned and in the mail to people. Sorry people, Nanowrimo ate my brain. That and taking care of my mother’s house combined with 1,001 drama practices for Caramon.

But look at my bucket list. Check out these items:

3. Visit and photograph all US Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

4. Visit and photograph all non-US Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

5. Take wedding photos in a graveyard.

13. Do a photographic essay on the face of pediatric cancer and the toll it takes on families. And have the ability to get said essay out there to people. I’d really like to cover this on areas where up until a few years ago, cancer was pretty much an automatic death sentence to children. (Like Iraq.)

26. Photograph a beach wedding.

27. Photograph a Vegas wedding. (Bonus points if Elvis is doing the marrying!)

Why do I take pictures? I like capturing the moment. I like showing the world what is going on. I like sharing with their precious “Kodak moment” and then handing them a copy of it to enjoy.

I like the look that is in your eyes when you see the pictures.

I like the smile that crawls across your face when you show me what you did with the pictures.

I like… helping.

Three of the six photographic list items involve personal projects, all of which are meaningful to me. I love taking pictures of the Temple. I also love sharing them. I think half of my congregation probably has a photograph of the DC Temple I gave them.

But I want you to scroll back up. Look at what it says by 13.

That is making work meaningful. What can I do to pay back to the world? I can work on photo essays that mean something. A wedding is beautiful, a baby is gorgeous, and I love taking those photos.

But there’s something to be said about documenting the ravages of Hurricane Katrina, the horrors of the earthquake in Haiti, the plight of the hungry children across the globe. If I can bring awareness to something through my photography, then I would be so happy.

If I could make that something be pediatric cancer? Even better.

And so I am off to work on my NaNoNovel and home school my children and take more photos.

I only hope that I put all of me into these endeavors.

Just know that I am grateful for it all. From hugging my children to pounding out 5,000 words in a day to photographing your beautiful face. Nothing fills me with more joy.

 

–Lady O