How did I get here?

Welcome back to this week's edition of Writing Gorilla. As I mentioned last week, I would go over my life leading up to being a writer for the mail. I promise I won't go over every detail, just some highlights. So how did I get here?

Let's look at the younger years of my life. After deciding not to go to Africa, I wanted to do something in visual arts. I remember being very young, my dad was driving the family somewhere, and I looked out the window. I saw a large golden field with a single tree just off to the side full of life and green leaves. Behind them on the horizon were dark clouds. A storm was coming in, but not for a while. These clouds were shades of dark blues, grays, and black. Seeing such an image made a spark in me.

I remember looking at my mom and saying passionately, "Mom, I want to be an artist." My mother laughed but encouraged me to pursue what I wanted.

I realized later in elementary school that my drawing and painting skills were not up to par compared to my classmates. So I would spend the next few years figuring out what I wanted until I got into high school.

Suddenly I wanted to get into film and decided to be a director. I looked critically at movies and shows, diving into what happens behind the camera. I learned about my favorite directors, including Tim Burton, Akira Kurosawa, and Barry Sonnenfeld. While I was diving into film, my parents reminded me I also had a talent for teaching. So we worked out a plan for my future. The goal would be to attend college and get my associate's degree in education. From there, I could be a substitute teacher while pursuing my dream of being a film director.

Maybe God or life, but it was during college that my plan would go right out the window.

Stick around for next week as I continue my story of how I got here.