Thankful for Disappointment and Rejection

Well, I went to the Boys & Girls Club on Friday expecting us to make deadlines for the film I talked about in the last blog and to talk about storyboarding. I got there and the three boys that were so pumped about the film weren't there and only the three girls were.

Backing up a bit, when I got there everyone was coming outside which was strange and there were guys in red uniforms there. Mrs. Pass (the lady in charge) asked me to take pictures because they were changing the USA flag that is on a pole right outside of the B&G Club. So, after the pictures I went in the gym while some of them got candy for getting good grades and after they were done I went up to my girls and asked if they wanted to have class today (which is how I phrase it every time by the way). Their responses: a very quick "nope." Ouch. I even tried to reason with them letting them know that we were going to talk about making a movie. They hardly listened to me and brushed me off saying they were leaving early and didn't want to have class. About that time, Mrs. Pass came up and asked if we wanted to meet in the tv room. I took her to the side and told her about the situation as well as the fact that one of the girls lied to me last week and skipped class.

So, I may or may not even continue to try to have class. I am very thankful to experience disappointment in this setting though. This isn't my job; I'm not getting paid for this, but I was still able to experience rejection and now I feel like when I have a classroom full of high school people and they decide to skip class or are not interested in what I have to say, I'll be more prepared emotionally and mentally.

I'm also facing the reality that I can't force my passion on anyone. They have to decide to take the opportunity or not to. Of course, I would love for them to take the opportunity because even if they don't become photographers I believe what I teach them could be beneficial in the long run. There are many basic benefits in learning photography such as learning to care about something, produce something and see the beauty in people and in life in general. But, you know, I can't make them learn. I can teach them and hope they listen and are receptive to what I'm saying, but I can only hope.

These are hard lessons and they aren't exactly pretty. But, I'm incredibly blessed to have had the opportunity to pursue my dream and I really believe that my experience teaching those few people will pay off; they already have.