I was thinking today about the fact that the simplest events can alter the course of a person's life. Fleeting coincidences can be fundamental to forming a person's very identity and interests.

For example: I was matched up as Miranda's roommate randomly. And while she had numerous effects on me, one of the smallest ways she shaped my life was by introducing me to different people. Some of them I saw often, some I spent very little time with... but once, I went in one guy's room and noticed an interesting background on his computer. He told me it was from a popular webcomic. I had never HEARD of webcomics before that moment. I just used the computer for games and goofing around.
I went to that comic's site, and was astounded. This whole new medium became apparent to me. I started reading lots of different storylines.
After a while, I began formulating an idea for a comic of my own. I'd always wanted to write a book... but here was this whole new artform before me... a new way to be creative... and it was free! I started playing with Photoshop and trying to make original pictures. I changed "Daemon's Story" into "Esuna's Story" (because I only know how to tell one story, no matter how the names change). Miranda was an art major, and I got better at a lot of things because of her. Not just by watching her work, but by taking time to do things with her. She'd tell me how to fix my retarded sketches.
Then, (April 4th 2004) I started a comic of my own. I'm actually coming up on Dream is Destiny's one year anniversary! And look how much I've improved; I'm always learning new things about digital art.

But the story doesn't stop there... I have had so much practice in Photoshop that I've gotten a job at a portrait studio working on photos. I'd never have been recommended for that job unless I hadn't goofed off so much making stuff for my own site. The guy I work next to is the most amazing artist (I feel like such a hack around him!) He and Mr. Chitty have showed me so much about professional retouching and altering. Also, they hook me up with their many resources like professional printing labs and their little trade secrets. What a blessing!

And still, the story continues:
Today I was relaxing and going through the archives of a new comic I've been meaning to get into. It was extremely entertaining. As I read along, one of the characters said "No comment" to the other. And then, quite randomly, I am awash in memories of elementary school.
See, when I was a kid, valentines were required. You had to bring them and give them to everyone on Valentine's Day. (Not just your friends. The whole class.). I tried to write nice things to people, but there were six or seven kids I really hated in this one class. I couldn't think of a single nice thing to say, so on their cards I just wrote the words "No comment."
How funny! I could have just left them blank, but instead I inadvertently insulted them. I laughed at the memory, and also at the fact that I was suddenly reminded of it by a the work of a stranger who lives a thousand miles away.

And it was this memory that inspired me to write this post.

My job and my childhood dreams... my conincidences... my memories... my hobbies and my laughter: everything is connected in strange and surprising ways. I'm not saying that I would never have written my story or learned to draw or read comics if I hadn't gone to UH... but when I look back over the last few years I see this definite chain of events that has shaped how I spend my time these days. And if the smallest of things can be so formative... I wonder how my life would be different if I'd made different choices? Taken different classes? Woken up an hour earlier this morning?

Life can be so delightful and mysterious! It's hard to imagine, but I have actually chosen this life one second at a time. And I guess I'm lucky that I can say that I like who I am, I like what I'm becoming, and I am at peace with the world.

No one has everything, but we all have something. And what I have is soft and weightless... like when you are holding your breath underwater... staring up at the sunlight through the waves. You push off the bottom of the pool, and the very tips of your fingers reach through to the air.

The air is warm.  ¶ 21:13