All dressed up and no where to go

When I was younger, I wanted to be a photo journalist. My plan was to work for Life Magazine and travel to anywhere and everywhere... all over the planet. But my life took a different turn and I ended up taking the mother / wife route instead. And since I believe that I should be at home raising all 4 of my children, I'm not out there chasing my photo journalist dream. But that does not mean I don't still want it. I do... and slowly my life is taking that path. I write, I take photos (here's some from this week) and I still plan to travel and see the planet once I have a few more books published (and practice up on my lecturing). The difference is, now I work for myself (and not Life magazine) and I'd have a whole crew of kids to travel the world with me. How wonderful is that?

And with each airplane that passes over head, and there are countless since I live within the flight plan of many airplanes coming into Columbus, that old travel bug pinches me a little harder. The bites are starting to itch something fierce.

To write or not to write...

I am to lecture May 24th for 2 hours at Ohio University. The title: MAMA WHAT'S AN INDIAN.

Summary: Summary: Exploration of what children see and hear about indigenous people from contemporary media, literature, television, music, toys, advertising, and so forth. Will examine the images, their messages, the inaccuracies of these messages, how children perceive what they see and hear and how if affects indigenous people today, plus how to counter those messages and the truth about Native American people of past and present. Lecture will include: an exhibit and handouts.

And so I have less than 2 weeks to write the lecture (and turn it into a Native Truth column), create the visual aides, try to figure out what's wrong with the mosaic program because I really wanted to take that in (it's about 5 foot high and made of nearly 3000 images), create the handouts and send press releases. And I also need to practice it a few times.

Needless to say, I've been swamped. Ugh!