But to remove this, to pretend it never existed, would be to deny one of the most important lessons that I've learned during this unexpected turn of events.
After the initial shock of my job loss wore off and the metaphorical dust settled, I was able to look clearly at my own personal situation for the first time in months. As my longtime friends showed up on my doorstep with crazily entertaining projects, chocolate, flowers, and their own love and support, the sting of being rejected by a small group of women at my former employer began to recede more and more. After months of pushing my own creative impulses to the side for lack of time, I was able to get out and take photos around Durham that had been mere concepts. I was able to tackle projects that I had talked about for a long time but could never find the time to properly execute. The time that I spent without work forced me to remember all of the ways that we humans define ourselves outside of our professions. As a result, I feel more in tune with me than I have in a while. So, although the initial experience of getting fired was unpleasant, the results of the experience were overwhelmingly positive.
A note to my former employer: here is the reason that I have "Na Pukaua" etched onto the back of my neck in an elegant, tattooed script. I *am* a fighter, and nothing will stop me from achieving my goals. Thank you so much for the reminder of my own resilience.
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Here are some of the projects that I've worked on during the past two weeks:
Photos of downtown Durham taken from an abandoned Norfolk Southern railway trestle that I pass under on my way to the gym everyday:
Homemade Cranberry/Orange Zest Pop-Tarts (recipe from Whisk Kid):
Making my own cheese at home:
And accomplishing a long-time goal of mine, making my own croissants from scratch:
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