A Kind-hearted, Good Listener With A Camera...

Copyright 2014.  Photo by Regina Hodge. 

My last post was about an interview that I was SUPER excited about, right? 

"Right,"

 say the avid readers of my blog... 

(sarcasm intended, of course...) 

Anyway, it's time for an update.
I don't really have any new or exciting news other than this interview made me 
want the job even more than I already did.

I try to appreciate the learning opportunities of new experiences, regardless of whether they turn out the way I want or not. I want this job but even if I'm not selected to be a photographer by the organization, I sincerely appreciate what I gained from the interview, alone.

Most interviewers begin with the dreaded, "So, tell me about yourself," question.
This time, I was ready with an answer.
Explaining reasons why I wanted the job was easy...

because I REALLY WANT IT.
This realization occurred to me: If you find yourself fumbling around in an interview when you're asked WHY you want the job,
It's probably not the right job for you.
If you find yourself b-s-ing answers,
someone else should get hired and you should think about a career change, friend.

At least, that's what I think. What do I know, though?
I know that there is always something new to be learned.
I don't have all the answers.
I think the ones I gave during this interview were the best ones I could give.
They were honest.

So,
however this opportunity plays out...
I owe it to the interviewer for helping me gain more motivation in pursuit of the job I've always wanted to have, but only recently felt brave enough to take a shot at it. (no pun intended, though most delightful...)


Rain or shine,
Good or bad,
I find that there's something to take from every experience...
my favorite types are the new ones-
those I haven't tried...
YET.

Life is all about taking chances, really.
Pursuing what you want and gathering up the courage to actually take a stab at that lifelong dream...
Well, friends...

that's what REALLY

COUNTS. 

Nearly one week ago, I took a shot at a job I want more than I'd like to ever admit.
There's always that nagging little feeling that happens when one allows hopes to supersede logic.

It's called fear.
Fear of not getting what you want.

Fear of...

FAILING. 

Said it. 

Faced it. 

Now what? 

Now, I don't worry about it. 

I don't worry what will happen next, 

nearly as much as I used to...

 (sorry, English-teacher-sis- sentence ends with preposition and I know how you hate all that jazz... :)... 

So, I faced a big fear 
this week.

I had to kind of pump myself up before the interview.

I even had a playlist for the drive there.
You know, because...that's normal. :) 

The lesson learned this week issssss..... 

Whatever it is that you want, 

DO IT. 

Within reason, of course...

I mean, don't go doing mean stuff just because that's what your crazy-meanie-head-self feels like doing...

Just...

DO THE STUFF 

THAT YOU DON'T DO 

BECAUSE IT SCARES YOU. 

                                               DO IT 

BECAUSE 

YOU HAVEN'T DONE IT 

BECAUSE 

YOU'VE BEEN AFRAID 

YOU'D FAIL. 

DO IT 

                                                BECAUSE IF YOU

DON'T DO IT, 

YOU'VE  FAILED ALREADY. 

I bet somebody has said that better than I just did.
So?

Whether it's a job opportunity that I finally got up the nerve to pursue,
or a new place to which I travel...

Doesn't matter.
I'm the restless, free-spirit-type,
according to my sister and those who know me best.

Free spirit. 

What's that even mean?
Sounds cliche, doesn't it?

I mean, who doesn't like to deem themselves with a carefree title such as that one?

I titled this blog's post, "A Kind-hearted, good-listener With A Camera"....

because - - - - - -

that's what I am. 

It's also one of the things I remember most from the interview.
I added the camera part, though. I figure that most photographers kinda need one of those, too. :)

A kind-hearted, good listener is hard to find.

- - Someone who actually means every single word they say during an interview...
is rare.

I'm just glad I had the answers this time. I'm glad I was true to myself. I'm glad I took a shot. I'm glad I learned, at long last, how much it is that I want the dream I'd been too scared to pursue...

UNTIL NOW. 

"Photographs are not taken. They are MADE." - Ansel Adams. 

Another Job Interview. Dear Sweet Lord Baby Jesus...Please Gimme THIS JOB.

I have a job interview scheduled this week...
The day after tomorrow, actually.

I have a good feeling about this one.

It's right up my inexperienced, non-degree alley of creative talent and one other thing I love more than anything else in the entire world...

Newborn babies.

What?

Yep, bitties. Teeny, tiny little miniature humans.

That's what this upcoming interview is about.

Being as how I don't have any mini-me's (YET) to speak of...,
one may ask why and what the heck I think I'm up to now...
One would be wise to ask such things. Especially if one knows me and my tendency to jump head first without asking many (or, nearly enough), questions.

After persistently emailing one person for the past three weeks or so... (Yes, I'm THAT stubborn)...

I got the response I'd hoped to get upon the first email attempt.

"I appreciate your numerous contact attempts regarding this position, Ms. Hodge."

(I'm Mrs., but it's cool- guy doesn't know just yet)

"I'm very interested in meeting with you because of this..." (*ahem..., stubborn efforts pay off!)

So, I am to meet with an unknown person I've been harassing for three weeks.
The day after tomorrow.

"Bring some samples of your work if you'd like them to be reviewed" - stranger-turned-friend-in-the-making said to me, via email...

"Also, a printed copy of your resume." - new friend continues in email while I get excited and kinda freak out for reasons that I shall reveal...

This person, whose name I know and do not tell because...
it's a secret? (professionalism. I decide, parenthetically.)

This person...

I assume to be the person within whom lies POWER.
HE, (or she... hint, hint- :) HAS THE
 (POWER of YES's and NO's.

Upon new-friend's review of the samples I'll somehow bring with me...
(samples that I must scramble frantically together into some organized, succinct fashion in order to promote the obvious existence of my deserving & perhaps, impressive candidacy for this job)...
...

I hope to actually enjoy having a part-time job.
I honestly don't see how I wouldn't KICK ASS at this job, Buuuuuut...

It all depends on this little meeting.

It depends on a lot of factors, but right now...

It's time for me to see what kind of crazy-awesome portfolio I can come up with!


Stay tuned.

(By the way, this meeting could go terribly. See my previous blog post about WHEN I SUCKED AT QUESTIONS DURING A JOB INTERVIEW )

That interview was for a job that wan't even open. This one could be, too.
I plan to use the stubbornness that seems to appease my new stranger-friend.

We shall see but today's a great day for the LUCK OF THE IRISH!! :)

Until next time...
After all,
I've got a holiday to celebrate. :)

St Patricks Day - The Luck of an Irish Native American Cherokee - (& green stuff for good luck.)

I forgot all about St. Patrick's Day. 

I am of Irish-Native American descent, and I forgot about the major  holiday that nearly every ancestor I've got probably had loved to celebrate! 

 I didn't even wear green today. 

I feel...
so...

OLD. 

Also, now that I've remembered the significance of today's green celebrations- -

I feel like I've got some catching up to do. 

For my ancestors, of course.
Wouldn't want to disappoint them.

Whatever other crazy combinations of heritable ingredients make a Regina,
...
it's the Irish and Native American contributions about which I'm most certain.

I actually titled this post before I started typing on this special holiday I remembered this afternoon...
I began with a title this time.
That's rare for me, you know.

I received some unsolicited feedback today, about previous posts I'd written.

"I read your blog."

"Yeah."

"Kinda negative, don'tcha think?"

"I guess, Mom."

"I just mean, I like it when you write about positive things and when you sound happy and upbeat like your little self!"

"Okay...?"

"I didn't mean anything bad, Regina."

"I know, Mom. Sorry about the 'negativity'."

"It's okay!"

So, my mother did not mention St. Patrick's Day in any part of the two-minute conversation that followed her phone call this morning.

I hope she wore green. Bet she forgot, too. Actually...,
I HOPE my mom forgot.

Not because I want her to be pinched to death- just...
if she is pinched,

it makes up for the 'just my opinion' comments she made about my blog topics... :) (Love you, Mom.)

Anyway...

I have to admit, my mom is probably right. I DO sound really negative in the last two posts or so that I've written here.

Right?

I mean, do I really sound that down-in-the-dumps?

(You can answer, since I've asked you.... Only my mom gets to provide criticisms, at whim.)

Where's she going with all this?

This girl's all over the place.

Thought this post was gonna be positive.
I clicked it because it said St. Patty's Day and had leprechan-y stuff in the title!

Those initial click-on-my-blog-ers have probably left now.

Oh, well.
They missed the best part...

Here.
This is for the Saint Patrick's Day that I nearly forgot.
This is the 'upbeat, happy stuff' my mom likes me to blog about.

Hope something here makes you smile.
If it does, then I make up for the occasionally 'negative' posts I rant about sometimes...

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY! :) 

Click for ------> An Animated Irish Prayer

For 10 THINGS THAT ARE EASY TO TURN GREEN, CLICK - - > Green, GREEN, GREEN!!

For another GREEN-LOVIN, ST.PATTY TALKIN', CUTE PIC FROM GOOGLE-THAT-I-RANDOMLY-FOUND-SO-CREDIT-THIS-BLOGGER, ... 

CLICK HERE - - - - - - - >WhatWouldMomSayBlog

Image below is credited to the above blogger. I have no idea where he or she got it, though... :) 

For a cute (and, slightly CREEPY)

 little kid dressed all festive-like, 

CLICK HERE - - - - - - > Cute or creepy? 

(Or just look below, same thing...) 

(Image may be subject to copyright... Since it's on Google, there's no point.) 

THIS LINK (BELOW) IS WORTH THE CLICK! 

FIND OUT HOW MUCH YOU REALLY KNOW 

ABOUT SAINT PATRICK'S DAY!

FOR SOME FUN FACTS 'N TRIVIA...

GIVE THIS ONE A CLICK! - - - - - - > 

LUCKY FACTS FOR ST PATRICKS DAY

Thanks for reading and hope you

(unlike me...,)

remembered today's significance! 

Enjoy! :) 

LinkedIn & Other Sunday Scrambled Egg Thoughts I Have... Mostly #LinkedIn Predictions of #Phaseout

I hate LinkedIn.
Sure, sure...

I know.
LinkedIn lets you...
'link in'
...

So, why the negative chatter?

Because...
It's outdated.
Superficial.
and, quite frankly...
I think it's STUPID.

Only, much like Facebook...
I find myself bitching about it and threatening to delete it-
more often than I actually take any type of action on either of those key complaints.

I update my profile.

Then...

LinkedIn TELLS every 'frickin' body that I updated it.
WHHHHhhhhhy??????!!!

I can also see who views my profile on LinkedIn.

My former co-workers have been curious as to what their ole' pal's been up to, lately...
Not really.
I'd do it, too, were I still in that office.

Anyway,
I don't get on LinkedIn much.
I think older generations use it more than the young-pup mid-late 20-something's like...
ME.

For getting your point across,
whether it be business or personal matters you wish to tell the world-

Seems that Twitter, Keep, Pinterest, and Fancy
are your better options.

I'll Pin til the day I die.
Pinterest has yet to be out-done, although I do keep an eye out for rising competitors...
You know,
just so I can
show Pinterest how loyal a'pinna I am! :)

Rigggght...

We're all bigger into social media.
It's what works.
It's what's hip, happenin', down, jive, the bomb'diggity, shit, shizzles, or---
as the 'new kids' are saying these days...
"EPPPPPPIIIIIIICCCCC."

When did "That's EPIC!" become so...
er,

...
COOL?

Wonder what that new generation thinks about LinkedIn.

Bet they've never heard of it.

Bet they'll never use it.

Bet I will not de-activate my account just yet,
ya know,
... in case I'm wrong.
(doesn't happen often, but you never know... :)

LinkedIn gets on my nerves.

However, too many former supervisors and 'elder-Linked-ers', as I affectionately call them---
have 'ENDORSED'

my SKILLS!

Oh, gee-gollies.
I've been enDORSED!

So, until all that moves on over to something that doesn't tell me who either looks at my profile to make fun of me or to potentially hire me (because why else are they looking unless I'm THAT interesting, which I'm not...) ...

I'll be on LinkedIn.
Don't believe all the stuff I write there, though.
It's true, but probably too unprofessional if you're of the elder-linkedIn-er generation I keep around for selfish endorsing purposes...

My LinkedIn is honest.
Too honest.
It is not written to get me hired.
Or,
you know-

It would have.

It's all about who you know.
your...

"CONNECTIONS."

Good for you if your LinkedIn looks awesome.
CONGRATS!
You have an awesome LINKEDIN PROFILE!

Give it 10 years.
Save all that data.

I will, too.

Because we all need those endorsements, regardless of what new hippidy-job-catchin' device these new kiddos come up with....
 :)

Much love.
Regina

Selling on Ebay - Being New in a Familiarly Unfamiliar Marketplace

I've bought stuff on Ebay.
Recently, I decided to give selling a shot.

It's been a learning process, much like Amazon and Etsy were for me.
Except,
I sold on Etsy for over a year.

As a newbie seller on Ebay,
I've got quite a way to go if I ever want to reach (and, hopefully...) surpass
the listing items successfully experiences I've had on other online marketplaces.

I've sold several items fairly quickly since I launched my first few Ebay listings.
What I thought would sell, didn't.

What seems to be popular on Ebay... (based on my 1-week of experience selling there...)
are

HANDBAGS.

Figures, but I'm wondering if it'll last or if the quick sales on my purses are due to Spring's arrival...
the season when most ladies (including myself),
want...
Nay- -
MUST HAVE...

a new handbag.

Whatever the explanation, every purse I've listed has been purchased.

I don't think it's any secret technique that's working, when it comes to the way I'm listing stuff.

That needs more research to confirm, I guess.

The most challenging part about starting up a little sideline cash gig online is learning how the particular marketplace/venue WORKS...

With Etsy, it all depended on keywords. Treasuries. Trending now tagging, and in-season words that made your shop show up first on search pages.

With Ebay...

er...,

So far, all I've got is...
purses.

There's a lot to learn but I like it so far. Made a little quick cash and paid a few fees. (Be careful with the listing additional charges!

Anyway, purses.
Must
list
more
of
those.

Also, research.
Must
research
to
confirm
purse
advice
validity.

Tyson0922 on Ebay. That's me. Go look. I'm almost out of purses, though. Sorry. :)

The basis of #Happiness - Thoughts on Thoughts of Others and How it Affects our 'Happy'.

People will judge you...
because YOU let THEM.

This post isn't directed to any one person, in particular.
It's meant to be...
um,
motivational...
I think.

The thing is...
I'm just like every other child of the 80's.
Because,
I think I'm SPECIAL.

I really think that I have something different
- I enjoy believing that the something that makes me 'different'

just might be
the

SOMETHING

that makes me
'make it'.

And...
I'm different from the rest of the 80's-born generation
in that-
-
-
I know I'm wrong.

I realize that me, just thinking I'm special or different...
makes me the opposite, entirely.

I want what everybody wants.
I want what we all want.
I want to SUCCEED.

"At what, Regina?"

"Whatever I do."

"And, what's that, Regina?"

"You know, just... er, all the stuff I'm doing all the time. That's WHAT."

So...

What's my focus in this little blog post, that has been long overdue?
ME.

My future, my ambitions, my dreams, my success,
MY...
MY..
MY.

We're all out for ourselves, in the end... I suppose.
Think about it.

What makes you the happiest in your life?
Is it the pretty Spring flowers, blooming all around you?
Is it the promotion you got at work?
Is it the admiration you get from your friends?
Is it...
YOU?

Chances are,
what makes you happy
isn't you.

You're a factor of the happiness equation, of course.
You're just not a whole number.

You're dependent.
So is your happiness.

What really
makes
you
happy

isn't
....

YOU.

It's what other people think about you.

I really think that's true.
Now,
whether or not we like to admit, or are even willing to admit that simple human nature-tendancy...

is what separates the realists from the idealists.
Simplified even more,

It's what makes YOU,
you.

And,
Me,
Me.

Our ideas.
Our feelings.
Our ambitions...

all
THAT
JAZzzzzzzz.

So,
we accept it,
deny it,

or live our lives in a blissfully ignorant bubble that conceals it.

We care what people think.

But...,

Does it REALLY make us

TRULY

UNDENIABLY

and

BLISSFULLY

HAPPY?

You tell me. :)