I found this photo the other day on Facebook. It's not new, it's been around before. In fact, I have posted it before a couple years ago on my own Facebook feed. It just makes me chuckle every time I see it and that's where my confession comes in.
That little girl, hanging upside down on the bar was me. Seriously. My time line is a bit askew as I was shuffled around a lot as a small child but if I can recall, My grandmother enrolled me in a ballet class when I was probably three or four. If that's the case, and she is the one who took me, I must have been in Chicago still at the time, I'm not sure and I was too young to really have a concept of place and time or, to even care for that matter. All I know is that I hated it from the jump!
I really hated it. I did not want to be there. Because of that, I think I only lasted for maybe three or four lessons and then, I confess.......the teacher actually kicked me out. Yes.... I flunked ballet class at the tender age of three or four.
Can't blame the teacher. In fact, I sincerely apologize. I don't remember what it was I did or didn't do as was most likely the case, I do feel sorry for that poor teacher however. I am positive that I didn't cooperate. I'm sure she did the best she could.
So, every time I see this photo, that memory comes flooding back. I don't regret having been kicked out but, I bet it embarrassed the heck out of my grandmother. Obviously, I was not meant to be a dancer, I was meant to be a visual artist, plain and simple.
My weirdness didn't end there. I have been weird all my life. When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up by my teachers, my answer was, I want to be a forest ranger. Really, no kidding, that's what I truly wanted to be. Not a mommy, or a nurse, or a secretary but, a forest ranger. I wanted to spend my day in the middle of a forest, up in one of those tall lookout towers with a pair of binoculars. I was also a major tomboy. Growing up, skateboards, climbing trees, jumping off roofs and fist fights were the norm for me. And that was in a time when it wasn't considered favorable for a girl to act that way.
And I'm still weird to this day. If you tell me to go right, I will go left. That's just me. So you heard it here, or rather read it, my confession. I must say that after all this time, I embrace my weirdness and I'm willing to hang onto it.
Enough about all that. Time to get busy in the studio. I spent all day yesterday doing "techie" stuff, didn't get any art made except for my quick, daily sketch, trying to get ready for my new toy that I will reveal next week sometime. It is art related, of course and I am hoping to branch out artistically with it. Till then..........Everyone have a great Mother's Day weekend.
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