January 20th: A Day of Firsts

Today was a day of beginnings. Luckily enough, I got to watch the 44th President of the United States as he took the Oath of Office, and then I hauled ass across town to start my first day as a Digital Photography student at the College of DuPage.

Both experiences were exciting for me. President Obama gave a wonderful speech, and I'm very glad I got to see it live. Part of me wishes I was in DC to see it all happen, but then I realize being short in a crowd that large may not have been ideal. It was fun to watch the news and see it all happen. I do have to say that it would be great if the media didn't focus on things like what people were wearing or the fact that Obama may have tripped up during the swearing in portion. I heard a commentator say, "That is something they will replay for years to come." Who really cares? I can think of two other examples of people tripping up like that, just off the top of my head. One was me, on our wedding day, because I was nervous and had a hard time listening and then repeating what our pastor said because I knew there were a bunch of people starring at me... lol... Secondly, I remember when they said that OJ Simpson was not guilty; the chick reading his name totally messed it up. These are moments where you might realize how important the moment is and get caught up in it, therefore tripping your tongue up as well. People make mistakes... it's really not a big deal!!

Okay, moving on. Class went well. I realize I am probably the 2nd oldest student in the class. It appears as though the rest of the class is just out of high school, and the majority of them look a little Emo. I saw a lot of black hair, funky nail polish, chains, piercings, etc. Maybe I can break the mold of what 'artistic' people tend to look like. Either that, or I'll dye my hair purple and start writing deep, depressing poetry.

I realize that's not fair of me, and I honestly don't really mean it, especially for everyone in the class. It's just my first impression. Oh, and I didn't account for the fact that I had to find a parking space today, so I was about 2 minutes late to the class... oops! I was happy when two others showed up after I did. The teacher seems nice. No one really talked today and I think it made him a little nervous. I would have put my two cents in, but I honestly don't want to be the person that talks all the time (and we all know I could be capable of that!!). It's strange to go back to school after you've worked in a University setting; I really feel for the professors. I can understand how hard it might be for them to try to relate to the class and encourage people to speak up. You're dealing with a group of people from a bunch of different backgrounds, and I think it would be tough to try to get everyone involved in discussions, especially about things like cameras, etc. Some people in my class didn't know what point and shoot cameras are (sorry if you're reading this and don't... it basically means that you can just start the camera up and start taking pictures, and you don't have interchangeable lenses like an SLR has.) But again, it is an intro class, so I guess I need to stop being so snobby and realize that we are taking this to learn the basics. I'm taking this class because I want to refresh myself on the basics so I can really learn about lighting, shutter speed, etc., from the beginning. I want to really learn it, as opposed to memorize it for a test and forget about it later. Maybe that's one good thing about going back to school after all of this time; my perspective has changed. I realize how important it is to learn now. I'm sad that it took me so long to finally figure that out!

Anyway, I realize that this entry is a little more opinionated... I shouldn't be so quick to judge. In the end, just know that I enjoy my class, and I do think I will get a lot out of it. I'm going to get started right now on my homework assignment... as opposed to the old Ashley who would have put it off until next week. :) It's the beginning of a new era!!

Love,

Ash