Introduction: I love to tell stories
Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve loved to tell stories. My storytelling has almost become a little joke among family and friends who know me. They will give each other a knowing look accompanied by a quirk of the lips or eyebrows and say “you know, it was one of those hour-long-Danielle-stories with about 10 tangents.” When I’d overhear this type of comment, I’d usually feel a bit crestfallen. And since my face is like a book in that all I feel is usually revealed in my expression, they’d quickly reassure me with comments along the lines of “Oh! But we love your stories and all of the tangents. We just think it is funny that no matter how side-tracked we get, you bring us back to where the story left off.”
Upon hearing this kind of statement, my reaction is usually a bit cautious. Perhaps ‘cautious with a dash of optimism’ is the right phrase.
I’m sure there will be many tangents, because I have a philosophy that tangents make life, and stories, interesting. But I’ll always try to come back to where the story left off.
So, I envision this blog as a place where family, friends (old and new), observers, and newcomers can hear my stories.
Additionally, since I was a little girl and my dad took beautiful photographs of hot air balloons and roses, I’ve wanted to take pictures as good as his. I find that along with my love of stories is a love of documenting my life in pictures. Again, for family and friends who know me, this is no surprise. My high school friends in particular will remember my “Don’t look at the flash!” exhortation that was meant to reduce red-eye, back before my camera had a red-eye-reduction setting. Of course, all of this talk of taking pictures is, technically, photography. But I’ve never taken a photography course and only really know how to use cameras with autofocus. I hesitate to classify anything I’ve done as photography. However, I love snapshots that capture a moment, a feeling, or a beautiful place that brings me joy. I find beauty in the symmetry of flowers and am particularly enamored with looking at things, whether it be flowers or animals (i.e. flora or fauna), very close up.
And for my official grand-opening/welcome/introduction, here is the one picture I’ve taken that truly feels worthy of being classified as a photograph.
This photograph is here to remind me of several things. First and foremost that I love the beauty that is found at the cellular level, in this case, the microscopic level. Second it reminds me of the excitement I feel in science that keeps drawing me back every day.
Finally, I want to extend my deepest thanks to dooce, who is the inspiration for my blog. She is hosting a ‘comment community’ at her site, for lack of a better description. While I may not be as witty as some of the commenters there (too many to list, and I’d no doubt leave someone off unintentionally), the encouragement from all of you and the inspiration by many of you, has led me to
take
this
step
and open up at least a handful of the facets of my life to the internet.