The last 10 years have been pretty intense and I learned so much from those experiences. The summer and fall of 2013 were filled with many wedding, bridal, and senior portraits, as well other photographic opportunities such as my high school reunion, and a rushed trip to Wyoming then North Dakota where, at the request of the grooms mother I photographed a wedding but I fear that I stepped on a cousin's toes because, unbeknownst to me, HE actually was photographing the wedding.

Experiences that taught me:

A shotgun, a machete, rounds of ammo, and Molotov cocktails & a lighter, carried by a teenage boy with a grudge walking in to a high school ruin lives.

People lie. A lot.

Bullies don't necessarily push you into a locker or trip you, sometimes it's the words spewing from their mouths with such hate a vitriol that they have to power to destroy.

Manipulation can take many forms, trust your gut if you think someone is trying to manipulate you or someone you love. 

Forgetting someone's actions is not the same as forgiveness and forgiveness does not mean forgetting. Believe peoples actions the first time.

Forgiveness is a BIG word.

Narcissists can be very nice.

Own up to your faults and weaknesses and ask for help when you need it.

Integrity is everything.

Don't let your goals and dreams die... write that book, start that business, pick up a new hobby, go back to school to learn what you have always wanted to.