12, the Big Year
It was age of twelve when there was big changes all around my life physically, spiritually, relationally, and etching into what was to be successful in the eyes of a Heavenly Father, reflected back full of love for a daughter. All knowing that just twelve years before was a fight for life from the moment of conception to outside the womb. Born a twin. There was a steep up hill battle with a immune system that was fighting to stay well and dealing with two holes in the heart. Many doctor visits and getting poked with needles was enough to encourage an alternate route later.
School was always a challenge not fitting in with others, or being a common target by teachers who didn’t think I was grasping subjects like Math. Ugh, I’d stay up for hours trying to understand long division. It was stressful for even my sisters. Although trying hard it was easy to get caught up in the frustrations of teachers who just had enough of raughty children. However, it was at an age when my sisters were interested in boys and brought them over.
One guy had a job at a printing place designing magazine covers. Not sure he was supposed to bring them home, but I got to see what he was working on for some big names like Cosmopolitan and Vogue. From that moment forward, my heart we set on doing that! It looked so cool! By the time grade school was over, I was super determined to have a plan by the time I was out of high school. My selections were narrowed down to three things: horses, publishing, and music: piano & voice.
No More School
I made it through school. I graduated from high school and finished college with a Bachelor’s of Science in Multimedia and Animation with cum laude honors. The black robe up top with the yellow cords. I had to ask the girl handing them out, because I had no idea that accomplishment until that moment. I was very moved after all the hardships truly paid off. I didn’t give up. I let go a lot of times, but never gave up. I spent several years throughout school to explore options from screen printing to folding brochures and publishing. I really liked publishing.
Always admiring earlier methods of printing. Watching movies like Braveheart or the Patriot, or the beloved tv program, Little House on the Prairie, there was always a printing press. Dreaming of what it be like to live in that era, I believe that’s the kind of work I would do. Truly, not much has changed. Now, it’s all digital. However, the admiration of the museums in Sacramento and San Francisco are really cool. They still hold workshops on bookmaking, the traditional way. It would be a cool experience to add to my list of things to do.