May 11, 2012

The Lettuce is Always Greener

My favorite burger in town is the Classic with Cheddar at Local.  This could be because of the frequency in which I have it, but it takes a pretty nice picture doesn't it?  Barb and I met up for a beer on Wednesday night and enjoyed hanging out on the patio for the first time this year.

We always seem to come here when we're in the middle of the latest project at Stream Media, or because we're overdue for a hangout.  This time it was a bit of both really. And being in a place that's become so familiar it was interesting that the topic of the evening was centered around change. 

It seems my contract work could really start to change as Stream becomes even more of a mediator for sourcing out projects - and sending editing gigs my way.  I'm not sure what it means quite yet, but I'm always nervous about upsetting the relatively fragile work situation I've built for myself here.

I've been wrestling more lately with my potential in a place like Medicine Hat and I do feel like between Stream and the video and photography work I do for the Weddingstar website, there's no new benchmark to expand to - at least not that I can see yet.  Barb even noted that my Around the Hat photo series almost seemed like a way of saying goodbye to the city, especially with my recent set of the Citadel building.  There might be something to that.

All of this was kind of a precursor to the discussion I knew I'd be having that evening with my friend Tyler over skype.  I knew he was going to tell me that he had decided to move to Ontario from Saskatchewan.  It had me thinking about Regina, the place we all went to film school, and what it meant for future hangouts if we were all living further away from one another.  All of my friends, it seems, are further spread out than they've ever been and if it weren't for the weddings or planned trips, I know we'd almost never see each other.

It's scary, if I'm honest, to be on the cusp of big changes that aren't your own.  I can feel things are moving again, and I tell myself it's just the growing pains of entering a new phase of adulthood. On one hand the life I've built here is pretty darn good, but as if it's a downside, it's become comfortable and all of the recent shifting has seemed to emphasize it.

I'm addicted to change in a lot of ways.  This blog began as a way of documenting and holding myself accountable to it.  Yet, it's tough to feel like a spectator when it's simply happening around you.  As I sat on the patio that night, about to take another bite of my favorite burger, I couldn't help but think that as good as it was, there were no surprises in having the same thing again.  


2 comments :

Wendy said...

Great post, bud. Change is refreshing (like your blog header!) and when everything stays the same too long it can feel like you're in a rut. I'm sad Tyler's moving so soon, because it means I'll rarely see the guy. I know what you mean about friends being so far spread out that it's impossible to see anyone, but it's part of life and you're right, growing pains.

People change, and life changes around you and sometimes it feels like you don't have any control over what's going on. I'm finding it increasingly important to learn to adapt to the ever-changing waves of life to avoid being left behind in some way.

Editing Luke said...

Ya, sometimes you have to remind yourself that the change is necessary. Regina has become pretty familiar for all of us, and visiting friends in Calgary or going to see Tyler in Ontario or you coming to the Hat, are all things that will make for more memorable visits in the long run. It's nice to have a balance between the new and familiar.