Money Managing Romantic De-Clutterer

Only 0.33% of the 235649 people who have taken this quiz are like me!
Actually I think this is an accurate personality test result.

I took the 43 Things Personality Quiz and found out I'm a

Money Managing Romantic De-Clutterer

Photography

I did 11/2 years of the 3 year program for photography at Lansing Community College....I didn't see the usefulness in continuing.  I loved photography - this was before digital - I loved the smell of developer (yes I'm weird) and just being in the darkroom made me happy.  Making something out of nothing - the ability to create something beautiful. And I was good at it (or so I was told) - but I was logical and didn't want to waste my time if I couldn't make a living doing it.  The jobs I saw were Portrait photography or commercial and my passion was in nature photography - but I didn't see a market there.  Portrait - I could do it but really didn't want to deal with screaming brats.  I have never dealt well with misbehaving children- which is why I'm surprised at being a "good" mother (again or so I told that I am). I blame it on my first babysitting experience which was not good...but babysitting kids is a topic for another post - back to photography.  Commercial photography - to really make it I was told I had to move to Chicago or New York (validity here was not challenged).  I wasn't willing to do that (I had a move to the big city of Flint in my future).  On a field trip to Chicago to talk with "real" photographers I left with the advice that after the basics "your schooling doesn't mean shit - you either do it (make good photos) or you don't".  I quit the program slowly thinking I would "do it" but really I didn't.  I did  some professional photography - a few weddings, some portraits, nature photos as gifts for family...but it didn't keep my focus I was interested in so many things...

Unemployment - forces me to find something new....maybe

I have had a lot of different  jobs over the last 20 years.  The variety doesn't lead to a good clean resume...but guess it shows my lack of one strong desire....and anything I did desire I ruled out as "something you can't make a living at".  I left high school wanting to be a photographer or architect.  Looking back architectural photography seems like a good specialty.  Really I wanted to be a National Geographic photographer  - travel the world taking nature pictures but that seemed like a dream and I didn't follow it....even then I think I foresaw the death of print media.

I'll go into it more in future posts but here is my list of jobs

Secretary at Kirby Vacuum
Spot Welder (2 weeks before I KNEW I wanted to go to collage)
Student Adviser at LCC (still my favorite job and what I wish I was doing now)
Also at LCC - Registration worker,Courier, ITV tech,
Test Evaluator- state educational assessments (like MEAP)...i don't trust any standardized test results now
Leader for Weight watchers
Tax Preparer for H & R Block
Craft class instructor for Jo Anns fabrics
Class assistant/ITV tech for MSUE
Computer tech and bookkeeper at IDA service
New Media Assistant for The Flint Journal
Librarian for The Flint Journal

can't wait to see what is next.....
Photographer?
Farmer?
Any suggestions?

What I want to be when I grow up....

OK - so this is my first blog blog post.   I started a photo blog as a project for my 34th birthday and when I got on blog spot to set the page up I found this blog that I started back in October - but I never actually published it.... and I really don't need 2 blogs - right?  Or maybe I do - that way I will keep the other one focused on photos rather than wandering with my thoughts that may not have photos to accompany them.  Either way here I am - finally going hit that "publish post" button.  And maybe I'll do it again sometime - who knows?  But figure I took the time to write it -might as well share it :-) 


So anyway here is what I was thinking back in Oct 2010 and yeah it is about the same now .....  What am I going to blog about? Well anything and everything of course.  I have a boatload of topics I have considered  focusing on in my life and since I never can seem to pick one I going to blog about them all.  Maybe if I do I this I can figure out what I really do want to do when I grow up.....


Paprika - that was my nickname in high school. "variety is the spice of life"  Right?  Now I am realizing how well this describes me. Darren is who gave me this name.  We started dating when I was 15 and I think him calling me this was his way of flirting with me.  The start was him  calling me a "seasoned cracker" my maiden name was Graham - so Autumn Graham = seasoned cracker....well being a season/spice evolved to just being called paprika.

So why does this describe me?  Variety.  I have never had just one hobby or interest.  All the useless aptitude career selection tests in high school put me pretty evenly in all categories - so I could do what ever I wanted to do.  Sounds better than it is.  Also always was told (and still am told) I can do anything I want to do....and I KNOW that I can.  But choosing one to focus my energy on has not been so easy for me.

"Jack of all trades, master of none" or maybe a "Renaissance Woman"?  Either way I've never felt that my interests mesh together well...and maybe they never will - but my hope it to explore some of them and share it here with anyone who wants to listen.