When I grow up...

This conversation with my parents a few days ago was pretty good. It made me think too.
My dad: Well, he's still trying to decide what he wants to be (in reference to my brother)
Me: Yeah, I think I'm going to be a writer, maybe take some pictures on the side.
Dad: Laughs, You know, you might be on to something there. Tells my mom in the background what I said
Mom: Maybe you could even get a job at a newspaper
We all laugh

Writing for a newspaper was never on my list of what I wanted to be when I grew up. Being a photographer in any capacity didn't make the list until college either.
In my younger years I was convinced I would be the next Shania Twain or Leann Rimes-sad but true.
Then I switched to a vet, until I found out vets have to euthanize pets for people. That was the end of that job aspiration.
After that, at about the ripe old age of 10, I started thinking something involving cattle genetics was more my style.
That one stuck. At about 12 I started buying bulls for our operation and selecting our replacement heifers. This led to researching genetics, meeting great seedstock producers and learning a lot about what can be accomplished through genetic selection.
I did take rolls and rolls of cattle pictures throughout my childhood and teen years, but beyond the fact that it was fun I didn't think anything of it.
Then I went to college and realized that most people my age hadn't known for eight years what they wanted to do with their life. Friends switched majors like they changed socks, others selected degrees that would result in a job that would pay well and provide adequate vacation.
I stuck with animal science-and learned some lessons. For instance, it's a whole different world when your job is to teach and you sit behind a desk and get paid every two weeks as compared to when you're out in the real world trying to make cattle pay the bills.
I did learn some important things during my college experience, but overall it wasn't as wonderfully fulfilling educationally as I had hoped.
Halfway through I decided to pursue a double major half-way through and added ag communications. This was a whole new world and I learned a lot about all aspects of communications. It was a bit of a let-down when I found out my double major was actually a double minor-after I graduated- but that's alright. I did learn a lot from my communications classes, and they came in very handy when I got my current job.
College was also when I started working for the Branding Iron Newspaper as a photographer and later as the photo editor. This is also when photography really took off for me. The job led to my first wedding and the start of my business. Today I take wedding and senior pictures and have the opportunity to see several of my photos published in the Roundup and a few other publications from time to time.
And now here I am, writing away for an ag newspaper. It's so fun an interesting to see where God takes my life. It's rarely in a direction I have planned, but that's half the fun. I do love that my job allows me to spend time on my cattle genetics and photography interests and that I get the opportunity to write about topics I enjoy.
It's also very interesting how so many of the seemingly little things I have experienced fit together and aid me in my current position. All those opportunities, conversations, people met, classes taken and places visited have converged into a history that is constantly benefiting me in the present.
I wonder whats next...