Joy, the elusive emotion

Yesterday afternoon I felt honest-to-God joy. It’s been awhile. Making an abrupt transition from a lifetime of full-time work for others to being self-employed left me feeling a bit unsettled. I’m doing what I want to do, but still dealing with angst about not bringing home a larger paycheck and worrying about all the “what if’s” inherent in not knowing what lies ahead. When I think about it rationally though, none of us know what lies ahead. What really matters is what we do today. I’m trying to follow my sister’s advice to just follow my passion and let everything else fall into place.

Yesterday, after finishing my weekly article for eHow.com, I gave myself permission to go out and shoot photos. It was a gorgeous fall day and I could not stand to stay indoors. After exploring a couple of parks I found myself at the Farmer’s Market in downtown Oregon City. I was shooting pictures of the market and close-ups of flowers and vegetables when the solo musician launched into one of my favorite tunes by Chris Isaak. A few moments later it happened; an upwelling of joyous emotion so strong I felt I could hardly contain it. For a few glorious moments, all was right and wonderful in my world. It was fleeting, but Oh, so welcome. Perhaps I’m making progress. I wish you JOY.

Photo credit: Tamara Muldoon