Giggling Like a Little Girl - Part I

As of last night, I have two things that have happened recently that literally make me giggle like a little girl when I tell anyone about it. But for now, I'll only share the first, which was this comment that I received on Facebook (I know, I know...I am nerdy but not so nerdy that I live for FB comments, but this one was different - I swear!):

"Louie N: So I never told you this I don't think, but you gave me this print in photo class. I kept it. It has made its home hung at my desk since I left highschool, it serves two purposes.
1 - It's a source of inspiration/drive when I stare at it and think I never really have it as bad as it seems sometimes, which has been all too often lately.
2 - I'm waiting around for you to become uber famous photog so this will become my nest egg, assuming you would be willing to sign it once you got famous. Thanks. Haha. Hope you are doing swell Kayla."

And there it is! This is and will always be my favorite picture that I've ever taken for several reasons. It was right at the point when I realized that photography was such a huge part of who I was and that I absolutely needed to be passionate about it for the rest of my days. I was also shooting film which was how I started and to this day, I miss the excitement of shooting and developing film...Anyway, so this photo - I'm not quite sure how I was brave enough at the ripe age of 16 to drive to downtown Cleveland, walk around and ask random strangers if I could take their photo for my portfolio, but I did it! It was such a learning experience for me and when I came across this man, I knew I had to take his picture. It was the middle of the winter - freeeeeeeezing winds that whip through downtown and there he sat all bundled up with pigeons dancing around him. He graciously allowed me to photograph him and it was the first photo I had ever taken that actually moved me.

So here I am today, someone has used a photograph that I captured as a source of "inspiration and drive" for the past few years...years! When I read this comment I got teary eyed and it was another simple reminder that I am on the right path...finally.