#this notion that teachers had of capital-C Creativity | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

prettyboysdontlookatexplosions · 1 year

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For better and for worse, [Sondheim's] is the most systematic and unsentimental mind that has ever addressed itself to the American musical—the sort of mind one might more easily imagine designing particle accelerators, or computer viruses too wily to destroy. “The first music teacher I had at Williams College was a man named Robert Barrow,” he says. “And everybody hated him because he was very dry, and I thought he was wonderful because he was very dry. And Barrow made me realize that all my romantic views of art were nonsense. I had always thought an angel came down and sat on your shoulder and whispered in your ear ‘dah-dah-dah-dum.’ Never occurred to me that art was something worked out. And suddenly it was the skies opening up. As soon as you find out what a leading tone is, you think, Oh my God. What a diatonic scale is—Oh my God! The logic of it. And, of course, what that meant to me was: Well, I can do that. Because you just don’t know. You think it’s a talent, you think you’re born with this thing. What I’ve found and what I believe is that everybody is talented. It’s just that some people get it developed and some don’t.”

(x) on the one hand, it's unbelievably funny that sondheim is like, "everyone would be thrilled to learn about leading tones and diatonic scales. the fact that i felt this way about them has nothing to do with me having any kind of talent. this is just the normal way for people to respond." but on the other hand i truly love so much knowing that one of the great creative luminaries of his century agreed with me that Teaching People Stuff Is Good Actually.

#one way i'd like started souring on things and a thing i still have a grudge over #was how often i'd hear or read people talking about the importance of teaching math in a way that nurtured mathematical creativity #meaning like: lots of problem solving with open ended problems not a lot of sitting down and doing your facts #and this made me feel very crazy bc i had taken piano lessons as a kid #(a 'purely' 'creative' pursuit)#and like... MUCH of my memory of learning to play the piano was. uh.#boring uncreative rote repetition in the service of building automaticity #and i mean. i was not a good piano student and i have no way of assessing my piano teacher's skill #but it's difficult for me to imagine a path to being a good pianist that does not run throough a lot of scales #or a way of even just memorizing a single piece that doesn't involve playing it until you're blue in the face #anyway. this isn't really about piano. it's about like #this notion that teachers had of capital-C Creativity #that felt totally separated from like the specifics of what i knew it meant to pursue like. many kinds of creative pursuits.#in a way that was like... what are you basing this on. where are you getting this idea. what does this look like in your head.#most of you are not people who consider yourselves to be particularly creative math thinkers #so what makes you feel like you know what it takes to turn someone into a creative math thinker

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interestingfactsquotes · 5 years

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Bernard Shaw Facts

George Bernard Shaw Born on July 26, 1856 in Dublin, Ireland; George Bernard Shaw was a known playwright, journalist, orator, reviewer and a socialist. He was born to poor parents and suffered financially. He had to fight through school as a clerk, neither of which he enjoyed. It was in 1876 when he moved to London he earned fame as playwright, politician and celebrity. He became the force of a developing Fabian society. He did not like George in his name and just liked using Bernard Shaw. Bernard Shaw

Shaw was a committed vegetarian, a socialist and he opposed the First World War. He won Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925 and an Oscar in 1938 (Pygmalion). He is the only person to receive both awards. He did not follow any religion but favored religious beliefs: "my religious convictions and scientific views cannot at present be more specifically defined than as those of a believer in creative revolution." Similar to other writers such as Edgar Allan Poe and J.D. Salinger, Shaw had his own unique personality and stood behind it firmly and with conviction.

Throughout his life he wrote more than 60 plays. His work dealt with political and social issues. He was known to dislike aristocrats and nobleman. One time he received invitation from local lord stating: "Lord C. Will be home Tuesday between 4 and 6". Bernard Shaw returned invitation and wrote down: "George Bernard Shaw too". Bernard died at an age of 94 when he fell down the ladder while trimming a tree. https://www.reddit.com/r/ColorizedHistory/comments/9hs56k/nobel_prize_in_literature_laureate_george_bernard/ https://www.reddit.com/r/QuotesPorn/comments/9l5510/you_see_things_and_you_say_why_but_i_dream_things/ https://www.reddit.com/r/DramaScripts/comments/a1drqs/george_bernard_shaw_plays_and_other_writings/ Nature Facts: https://www.interestingfacts.org/category/nature-facts World Facts: https://www.interestingfacts.org/category/world-facts Science Facts: https://www.interestingfacts.org/category/science-facts Definitions: https://www.interestingfacts.org/category/definition Planets: https://www.interestingfacts.org/category/facts-about-planets Nutrition Facts: https://www.interestingfacts.org/category/nutrition-facts Quotes: https://www.interestingfacts.org/category/quotes Things To Do: https://www.seatsforeveryone.com/blog Sitemap: https://www.interestingfacts.org/sitemap.xml https://youtu.be/EacpnsOMPCU To this day Shaw is cherished. The Shaw Fest takes place annually and is a festival celebrating classic plays and literature. Considering that education should produce accountable and humane citizens rather than slaves, Shaw shows a schooling system's evils. The intention is to show schooling gives rise and discourse works through energy that is disciplinary. Keywords: Bernard Shaw, Pygmalion Michel Foucault, Knowledge Power - Fatemeh Shahpoori Arani, Hossein Pirnajmuddin. Due to the rottenness of bourgeoisie and also the evils of poverty and capitalism, Shaw devoted himself into the reason for real progress, morality and justice. To increase their condition and to enhance the people's awareness, Shaw dramatized the connection between the difficulties of faith, marriage, and conscience, the individual and society, as well as genders. A number of the writings are a review of the schooling system. He believes that the education system must produce humans, but the schooling system of the time was a company which involved punishment, and taught things that are useless by rote. The school system made progress impossible. Consequently Shaw probes the dynamics of teacher and the discourse of schooling - pupil power connections. He presents most significantly class the connection between this discourse alongside other discourses, and the idea of self indulgent as an one. The notion of self indulgent is of fundamental importance, for, as the drama also within its own way intimates, subjects aren't found in the world, but are invented, that they may take possession of both their fabricated lives by becoming their very own authors. Drawing on that the Foucauldian conception of discourse, it's evident that important dimensions of both this society are constructed by discourses that are interdependent and defined in connection to one another. For Foucault discourse is composed of both a limited number of both statements for which a group of both conditions of both existence can be defined. From the initial act the distinction between Eliza and others is evident. She's the illegitimate kid of a destroyed family thrown out to earn her very own living by selling flowers. Her father, Alfred Doolittle, is a very common cop used to drinking, extorting money, and also engaged in love affairs. Her family status attacks Eliza to working class with its culture and also way of life that are defined against that the upper class culture negatively - as vulgar and inhuman. Cold and hot water on tap. Wooly towels, there's. Soft brushes to scrub yourself, and also a wooden bowl of both soap smelling like primroses. Read the full article

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groveatlanticinc · 7 years

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We’re proud to be part of the independent publishing community, promoting titles that break the mold and push boundaries. In support of our fellow independents, we’d like to draw attention to big books from smaller publishers across the country. First up, we’re highlighting our best books—fiction, essays, poetry, children’s stories, science books, memoir, and more—that celebrate diversity and inclusion, give voice to marginalized communities, and encourage free thinking—books that dare to be different.

What are your favorite current reads from independent houses? Join in on the conversation by using #IReadIndie.

Celebrate Diversity

Grove Atlantic

The Kindness of Enemies by Leila Aboulela

With citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries recently banned from entering the United States, it is more important than ever to turn to and support those voices whose work unpacks history in order to provide clarity to the present. In her latest novel, Sudanese-born Leila Aboulela writes with inimitable elegance a multi-generational historical fiction saga about Imam Shamil, the 19th century Muslim leader who led the anti-Russian resistance in the Caucasian War; his family; and the reach of his legacy today. The Kindness of Enemies is both an engrossing story of a provocative period in history and an important examination of what it is to be a Muslim in a post-9/11 world.

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Christodora by Tim Murphy

In an age where queer people face hostility from a reactionary political establishment, the activism of the AIDS crisis offers urgent lessons as to how we can make positive change in the face of oppression and misinformation. A portrait of the endurance of love, the constellation of relationships that binds us, and the changing world of New York City, Christodora is a deeply moving portrait of a lost bohemian Manhattan and a powerful exploration of the fate of activists and artists in our contemporary society.

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The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen

The refugee experience is the world experience, and it is the American experience too—not least because of wars fought abroad that cause an influx of refugees at home. In his new collection, The Refugees, Viet Thanh Nguyen looks at the Vietnamese refugee experience in America, as well as the lives of some Americans in Vietnam. From the battles to build a good life in the wake of actual wars left behind, to new and old experiences of love and tenderness, and questions of where home is when hostility is faced both in the country of birth and the adopted country, The Refugees is a powerful and moving testament to the experiences of people living lives between two worlds.

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Workman Publishing

This is Me: A Story of Who We Are and Where We Came From by Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell

From the #1 New York Times bestselling creative team comes a timely, interactive picture book about immigration and identity. It asks children to consider: What would you pack if you had to travel to a new country with just a small suitcase? What are the things you love best? What says “This is me!”

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In the Company of Women: Inspiration and Advice from over 100 Makers, Artists, and Entrepreneurs by Grace Bonney

Across the globe, women are embracing the entrepreneurial spirit and starting creative businesses. In the Company of Women profiles over 100 of these influential and creative women from all ages, races, backgrounds, and industries, and details the keys to their success.

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Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World edited by Kelly Jensen

Forty-four writers, dancers, actors, and artists contribute essays, lists, poems, comics, and illustrations about everything from body positivity to romance to gender identity to intersectionality to the greatest girl friendships in fiction. Together, they share diverse perspectives on and insights into what feminism means and what it looks like.

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Sourcebooks, Inc.

The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women by Kate Moore

As World War I raged across the globe, hundreds of young women toiled away at the radium-dial factories, where they painted clock faces with a mysterious new substance called radium. With such a coveted job, these “shining girls” were considered the luckiest alive—until they began to fall mysteriously ill. The Radium Girls is the first book that fully explores the strength of these extraordinary women in the face of almost impossible circumstances and the astonishing legacy they left behind.

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Isabella: Girl in Charge by Jennifer Fosberry (author) and Mike Litwin (illustrator)

Isabella: Girl in Charge explores some of the amazing women who made political history. This heartwarming tale empowers young girls to realize their true capabilities while inspiring them to let their own personalities shine.

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Indiebound: https://goo.gl/kBrJr0

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What Does it Mean to Be Kind? By Rana DiOrio (author) and Stéphane Jorisch (illustrator)

Part of the award-winning What Does It Mean to Be…? series, What Does It Mean to Be Kind? is a straightforward, accessible introduction to the idea of kindness, with suggestions that foster empathy and enlighten the world. What Does It Mean to Be Kind? shows young children how easy it is to be kind, through small acts and in simple ways.

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Feminist Press

Celebrate People’s History by Josh MacPhee

Celebrate People's History! features posters by over eighty artists that pay tribute to revolution, racial justice, women's rights, queer liberation, labor struggles, and creative activism and organizing. These essential movements—acts of resistance and great events in an often hidden history of civil rights struggles—remind us of the resilience of humankind even at the darkest of moments.

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But Some of Us Are Brave (2nd Edition) By Gloria T. Hull, Patricia Bell Scott, and Barbara Smith

A precursor to Women’s March organizer Linda Sarsour’s statement “if you’re not following a woman of color, you’re in the wrong movement,” All the Women Are White, All the Blacks Are Men, But Some of Us Are Brave: Black Women's Studies is the first-ever comprehensive collection of black feminist scholarship. Featuring essays by Alice Walker, the Combahee River Collective, and Barbara Smith, and original resources, this book is vital to today's conversation on race and gender in America.

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The Crunk Feminist Collection by Brittney C. Cooper, Susana M. Morris, and Robin M. Boylorn

For the Crunk Feminist Collective, their academic day jobs were lacking in conversations they actually wanted to have—relevant, real conversations about how race and gender politics intersect with pop culture and current events. To address this void, they started a blog. Now with an annual readership of nearly one million, their posts foster dialogue about activist methods, intersectionality, and sisterhood. Never afraid to speak out, disrupt narratives, and prioritize self-care, the Crunk editors are the models we need for activism in 2017.

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Milkweed Editions

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

“A hymn of love to the world.” —Elizabeth Gilbert

As a botanist, the author has been trained to examine nature with the tools of science; as a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our teachers. Here she brings these two lenses together, showing how other living beings offer us gifts and lessons, even if we’ve forgotten how to hear their voices.

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The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature by J. Drew Lanham

Growing up on his family’s land in South Carolina, J. Drew Lanham fell in love with the subtle beauties of the natural world around him—and grew up to be one of the lone black men in a predominantly white field. This memoir is a riveting exploration of the contradictions of black identity in the rural South, asking what it means to be “the rare bird, the oddity.”

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Tula: Poems by Chris Santiago

Tula: a ruined Toltec capital; a Russian city known for its accordions; Tagalog for “poem.” Inspired by the experiences of the second-generation immigrant who does not fully acquire the language of his parents, the winner of the 2016 Lindquist & Vennum Prize for Poetry paints the portrait of a mythic homeland that is part ghostly underworld, part unknowable paradise.

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Abrams Books

Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Octavia Butler; Adapted by Damian Duffy and illustrated by John Jennings

More than 35 years after its release, Kindred continues to draw in new readers with its deep exploration of the violence and loss of humanity caused by slavery in the United States, and its complex and lasting impact on the present day. Adapted by celebrated academics and comics artists Damian Duffy and John Jennings, this graphic novel powerfully renders Butler’s mysterious and moving story, which spans racial and gender divides in the antebellum South through the 20th century.

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Power to the People: The World of the Black Panthers by Bobby Seale; photographer Stephen Shames

Admired, reviled, emulated, misunderstood, the Black Panther Party was one of the most creative and influential responses to racism and inequality in American history. They advocated armed self-defense to counter police brutality, and initiated a program of patrolling the police with shotguns—and law books. Published on the 50th anniversary of the party’s founding, Power to the People is the in-depth chronicle of the only radical political party in America to make a difference in the struggle for civil rights.

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IndieBound: http://bit.ly/2kTclFL

ABRAMS: http://bit.ly/2kTfo11

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The Best I Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir by Thi Bui

This beautifully illustrated and emotional story is an evocative memoir about the search for a better future and a longing for the past. Exploring the anguish of immigration and the lasting effects that displacement has on a child and her family, debut author Thi Bui documents the story of her family’s daring escape after the fall of South Vietnam in the 1970s, and the difficulties they faced building new lives for themselves.

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IndieBound: http://bit.ly/2kTfeXt

ABRAMS: http://bit.ly/2kT0M1y

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Chronicle Books

Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors by Hena Khan, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini

Magnificently capturing the colorful world of Islam for the youngest readers, this breathtaking and informative picture book celebrates Islam’s beauty and traditions. From a red prayer rug to a blue hijab, everyday colors are given special meaning as young readers learn about clothing, food, and other important elements of Islamic culture, with a young Muslim girl as a guide.

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At the Same Moment, Around the World by Clotilde Perrin

Clotilde Perrin takes readers eastward from the Greenwich meridian, from day to night, with each page portraying one of (the original) 24 time zones. Discover Benedict drinking hot chocolate in Paris, France; Mitko chasing the school bus in Sofia, Bulgaria; and Khanh having a little nap in Hanoi, Vietnam. Strong back matter empowers readers to learn about the history of timekeeping and time zones, and to explore where each of the characters lives on the world map.

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Indiebound: https://goo.gl/j07B4d

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Loving vs. Virginia: A Documentary Novel of the Landmark Civil Rights Case by Patricia Hruby Powell, Illustrated by Shadra Strickland

From acclaimed author Patricia Hruby Powell comes the story of a landmark civil rights case, told in spare and gorgeous verse. In 1955, in Caroline County, Virginia, amidst segregation and prejudice, injustice and cruelty, two teenagers fell in love. Their life together broke the law, but their determination would change it. Richard and Mildred Loving were at the heart of a Supreme Court case that legalized marriage between races, and a story of the devoted couple who faced discrimination, fought it, and won.

Buy Links:

Indiebound: https://goo.gl/96Gupl

Chronicle Books: http://ss1.us/a/ICBp0PDQ

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myupdatesystems-blog · 7 years

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Design Tips For Graphics And The Web

New Post has been published on https://myupdatesystems.com/design-tips-for-graphics-and-the-web/

Design Tips For Graphics And The Web

I started following my dream job a year ago and I have never been a rich man.

In fact, I think I can never remember being rich at all.

Like many, I have searched for a type of work that I could see myself doing for life and up until my 28th birthday, I had very little success in finding it.

3 years ago, I was involved in a very nasty assault that left doctors not sure that I would pull through. I was unconscious for eight hours and woke up to find out that whilst walking home drunk in the early hours, I was jumped for my mobile phone. The attacker hit me in the face with a bottle and stamped on my head 8 times when I was out cold. The ordeal left my face scarred for the rest of my life- with it taking 2 and a half hours to stitch me back up.

I hope that no one goes through what I have in the past and those who have, I’m terribly sorry. It’s a struggle to get your head around what has happened for so long and looking people in the eye for the first part of your recovery is a difficult thing to do. My advice is as follows, stay strong and use the experience as an opportunity to leave the past behind and begin new things, starting fresh.

This is what I did……

It became very apparent that when you come so close to losing everything, that you appreciate things a lot more and also, a lot less. A lot less, in that there are aspects of your life that when you really look closer, see that they need changing- as spending your life unhappy, is a life unfulfilled and with regrets in my new opinion.

During my recovery, I tried to find things to do to help me get myself back to normal. Looking back, that was never going to be the case completely, but anything that would help me come to terms with my attack was looked into and explored. I gave up drinking and have not had a beer in over 3 years. Also when exploring solutions, I found that one particular past time helped the most……. drawing.

I have always been a creative person and loved Art at school. I loved painting, drawing, and sculpture and this led me to a university degree in Architecture which I began in 2001. I had always dreamed as a young person to create things that the public would appreciate. But from a problematic course at the wrong university with little finance to drive it, I lost confidence in what I was doing and disengaged with my learning. I never quite believed that I would ever see one of my designs become real.

It was not until my attack that I began to truly connect back with creative practice, finding that drawing things took my mind off what was going on and allowed me to escape using my imagination. What’s more, to see things grow from scratch there on the page into fully rendered sketches of people, buildings and landscapes gave a sense of gain and development.

This helped, so I began to explore the possibilities of learning new things, so to see creation happen in other forms of media. These were effectively projections of my imagination but was really therapeutic. Most importantly, this past time was there to add a little more value to me as someone dealing with that notion of being a “victim” which leaves you feeling quite useless at times and unproductive.

I learned how to use AUTO CAD first of all so to revisit my designs that I drew up whilst at university, re-creating them with a little more detail and also, presented in a more professional manner. I also began to look at different types of software to design graphics such as posters and Leaflets- all conceptual, projections essentially, but something that brought about a feeling of achievement.

After a few months and on the way to work one morning, a colleague had heard that I had learned to be an architect at university and asked about the possibility of designing his new conservatory, that he wanted to build himself. I didn’t know at the time that this day would become one that would influence the next chapter in my life and from taking on that project, would go on to learn so many new things that make me what I have always wanted to be…… a Designer.

I designed the project and watched as the drawings came to life and it is to this day, still my proudest achievement. It is still 2 years on, in need of painting, but looks great if I don’t say so myself. It gave me confidence that even through an experience that could have taken me right off the rails, I could then see that life could still go on positively. Through Design, I was able to see improvements in me, I could see results, tangible results happening by my hand which was crucial to my development at that time.

I say that this period has seen great learning curves and this is true. I have been able to learn so much from using the internet and books.

I must admit that business has not been plain sailing, but I am able to do is in my view, something to write about. I can now design small buildings, Graphic Products such as Business Cards, Leaflets, Brochures, CD Covers and I also learned how to design websites.

Using Dreamweaver and now, MySQL based Content Management Systems using Concrete5 and some nice tricks using Jquery and CSS to make things a little more exciting, I have a full online portfolio that is possible to view anywhere. I have taught everything you can see myself and I wouldn’t have it any other way, as every new thing makes me feel better about myself and more comfortable about the things that have happened.

I found that design was becoming a huge part of my day, thinking about what new things I needed to learn, what new products I could learn to design and generally, what creative projects I could get stuck into. My occupation at that time was a school teacher and for anyone who has been in teaching, you will know that it is a lot of hard work that needs 100% commitment. If your hearts not in it, then don’t do it as your not doing anyone any favors, especially your students. After returning to work and due to my new perspective, my eyes began to open noting a few things that gave me a clearer idea of what teaching was about nowadays in secondary education for the teacher.

I began to see politics in action, I began to see the tricks that other teachers would use to safeguard themselves and themselves only. This left me feeling very detached from what I believed in the past to be a job that was pro-people. In fact, what I began to see was people who could not be trusted, ineffective management systems and generally an occupation that uninspired me.

I remember the day I had made the leap of faith.

It was a Thursday, I was sat at my computer waiting for a parent’s evening to begin, thinking that I would be seeing three sets of parents and then off home for some web designing for my new on-line portfolio. I went to my inbox and found an e-mail titled RE: Parents Evening and opened it.

What I was to read was a list that initially started with three appointments, but described in the e-mail, a confusion with Admin that had arisen and what I actually found was I had 15 appointments. I would not be home till around 7.30pm. I think this was the straw that broke the camel’s back and I picked up my bags, left my classroom and never went back.

From then on, I began to work on my online portfolio that I named Portobella Rain Creative Design Solutions. In 12 months, I have received 2 web design awards albeit bespoke titles from Nodus and MyDesign Awards for Web Excellence. I am also ranked 36th out of 2200 in the UK through Design Crowd, which also sees me 290th out of 34,000 globally. I have worked for clients around the world, ranging from Israel to Melbourne, Australia and with the first year in practice being the most difficult I have ever experienced with the lack of funds and no life, funnily enough, have never been happier. I am more confident, I have a thicker skin which helps in the design and I am still learning from the knocks that working for yourself brings.

When I threw the towel in back then, unlike many people, I started with no capital to get the required tools to work with. All I owned was a laptop, an internet connection and some default software like Dreamweaver and Fireworks- as this was originally a work Lap Top. My first challenge and obstacle were to get the required tools with no money and sort out an online portfolio that would be considered credible.

In looking around, I have found some software that this article relates to. In the past 12 months, I have found tools that you may or may not have heard of, that I now use daily to get my work done for graphic and the web and so far, I think they are brilliant.

All Open Source and thus, all free.

1. 000webhost (Free Server Space) 1.5GB Free Space 1.b 1&1 Domain Names for $1.50 / 12 months – Web Forward your Free Server to this domain and your cooking. 1.c Filezilla- FTP Software that will connect your local desktop to the server space. 2. Concrete5 Content Management System- a great, dynamic CMS that when using the right tutorials, can create sites that look as good as Drupal and Joomla, but so much easier to use and is growing popular with clients nowadays. 3. GIMP 2.0 – Photo Editing, for presentation and anything that you would use Photoshop for. 3. Inkscape – Vector Graphics, easy to use, dynamic and a tool that I use daily for web design, web graphics, logo design and so much more. Much of the results I have had through Design Crowd has been due to this package. 4. Google Sketch Up- 3D Modelling, product design can be done here and if you check out the 3D Design Page on the.co.uk site, you will see what you can achieve with the plugins that come with this fun and addictive product.

I hope you find this article useful on many levels. I hope that those of you reading this who have had similar experiences to me, or are simply wanting more out of life. Take everything I have written and see how with a little determination and passion for what you are doing, you can make a change and take steps towards making a life for yourself that you want.

I warn you, this is not a get rich quick scheme, it doesn’t describe the ingredients for gold making. In actual fact, these are the tools that you need to begin creating within the 21st century and the rest is up to you. Marketing, Business Leads, SEO the lot is all part of the learning curve. Expect knocks. Expect people being rude about your work. Expect cheap clients. Expect all that. But if you have the desire and passion for taking that leap of faith for getting more out of life, then make that change. If you are a student wanting to learn new things, I highly recommend the list above as the work you see in my websites are all done with these types of packages and being free, that leaves you a few more pennies to buy a few beers at the Union Bar.

As my first sentence of this article suggests, I am not a rich man. This is not a story of financial success by any means. I have worked part-time and earned more money. But I can say for the first time in my life, that I am happy and the decision I made back then, was worth it. Sometimes, I don’t see that with work being difficult or just life being life and throwing up obstacles. But as I put words down on this page, I do know that I am happy.

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