We’ve all heard the “you are what you eat” quote and if that was true, I am one big mash of coffee and mac and cheese. But if you couldn’t answer with your job, how would you answer this question, “what do you do?” I am a true believer that who we are is not what we do. I often feel that in life we lead our conversations by asking the simple question of “what do you do?” and we so easy get caught up in work talk over life talk. We take the easy way out of getting to truly know someone by using our professions as a scapegoat to draw assumptions about others. From the dentist to the new neighbors, I am constantly asked what I do for a living. After I tell people that I am a wedding photographer, it usually leads to interesting and funny questions about my profession. I have learned some quick responses to explain the complexity of my job, but beyond that I feel like I am so much more than “what I do.”
(Pssst… this is a sneak peek from our anniversary session with Life Tree Photography! Eeee!)
Something I ask potential clients when they inquire is “what in life are you most passionate about?” I feel like it totally gives you a better gauge on who people are. I want to know what makes you come fully alive, not what sort of cubical you spend eight hours of your day in. Instead of jumping to conclusions based on a profession, I want to dig deeper to the core of who they are. Do they like sushi take out on a Wednesday night? Are they obsessed with The Bachelor? Do they kayak and hike on the weekends? Trust me, that tells me a heck of a lot more than asking what they do for a living and at the end of the day that matters way more to me.
I was talking to my best friend, Jenna, the other day. (Yes, we share the same name and yes, we were known as “The Jenna’s” growing up!) We often laugh about how entirely different we are but how we are so much the same. She is an adventurer through and through, she travels the world and changes lives along the way. She hates being tied down and loves being free to roam and explore. She is one of the most brilliant people I have ever met and has seen more of the world than many of us ever will. Right now? She’s a waitress at a local food joint back home and you know what? She loves it. It isn’t her career, it isn’t a forever job, it doesn’t tell me about the fact that she just got back from a five month trip from South America when she went out and saw the world first hand, it just tells me what she does to make a few pennies. If I judged Jenna off of what she “does” I would know near to nothing about the amazing human she is… nothing (although I may ask her what she recommends for dinner.)
Me? Well, I am way more than what I do… that is just a little piece of the Jenna puzzle. I am passionate about coffee, (like mega and embarrassingly passionate… some people call it addicted) I could nap anytime of the day and am obsessed with my two rescue dogs. I think my husband is the most handsome human to walk the planet and I do CrossFit every morning. I can do pull ups and climb a rope and a little dirt never scared me. I love to kayak, run, and feel the sun on my face. I’m a true believer that truck stop diners always have the best eggs benedict and makeup should only be worn on special occasions. My family means more than anything else to me and I think that we are a nutty but beautiful bunch of people bound together. Being a story teller is the root of why I do what I do and I really believe in love. Picking wildflowers and weeds and calling it a bouquet is totally legit and jeans are best saved for our once a week date night. I take pictures and create art because I love it, not because I have to and I wouldn’t choose any other job in the world except for being a professional coffee drinking napper. (If you know of any open positions, please let me know.)
You see? We are a heck of a lot more than what we do. We are who we are because of our life experiences, our passions, our dreams and I would much rather hear what you are passionate about than what you do on the daily for a pay check… so, do tell me, what in life are you most passionate about?
This is truly beautiful!! Thanks for sharing lovely!! Oh, and PS: totally adore your anniversary photos
Well said Jenna! So true 🙂
do you do grad pictures? if so email me your rates 🙂
Ugh. How are you so freaking adorable??! And I love your writing – it makes me all mushy inside 😉 LOVE your anniversary photo! Can I see more??
Wow, this is really funny to me because the longer I read, especially your last paragraph, it began reminding me of the “About Me” section of my Facebook profile where I describe all kinds of weird but very intimate parts of my life (although some of them I leave quite vague, so that only people who really know me would get them). If you’re interested, I’m attaching it below…
I’m the cross product of two lefties claiming to always be in their right minds. In addition to the “you” replacing her “I,” the “h” in my mother’s “hippy” has a screw loose and is swinging dangerously close to “yuppy.” My father resembles the unlikely lovechild of an anarchist and a socialist, and it’s a well-known fact that he wishes he never had to come inside. My puppy rings a bell on the door when she has to tinkle, and my boyfriend reads vampire novels in the bathtub. I have no real godparents, but I love my fake ones more than words, and my 17-year-old cousin has no idea that I’m his biggest fan. My dog has a thyroid disorder, my grandma wears a toe ring, and my grandpa says garbage trucks sound like dinosaurs in the morning.
I’m allergic to cold water, and I can’t stand cucumbers. I’m 2-for-3 in eating contests, and, whenever possible, I avoid stepping on cracks. I have skinny arms and a hollow leg, and I like holding hands while wearing mittens. I make up songs when I’m not paying attention, I forget common words when I am, and I doodle on tablecloths with my fingers when you aren’t. I love thunderstorms and good coffee, I wish skin were transparent, and I think they should be called “weekbeginnings” not “ends.” I (almost) guarantee that I can burp louder and spit farther than anyone you know. My life is filled with subtitles, and my dreams are in color. I’m an adrenaline junkie, I rarely get lost, and my life goals include driving a Zamboni, standing next to an entire NBA basketball team, & sticking someone with an Epipen. I don’t know what I want, but I do what I don’t. The glass is half full, and you should finish it before you start another. I’ve been called; “loyal as a pup,” “unpredictable as a firecracker,” and “slow as molasses.” Quirky as shit and not much of a swimmer, but I’d say that–
I’m one-helluv-an-oops.
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