Was it Worth It?

In 1994 I was standing on the bow of a small expedition style boat. The sun was beaming down as the boat cruised through the waters of Baja. I was teary with joy as I watched a huge pod of dolphins playing in the bow wake of the boat. It was amazing and I couldn't believe I was there absorbing it all. At that moment I watched one of my earrings flip out of my ear and drop into the water. I gasped in horror.

Those earrings were given to me by Steve when we were dating. It was one of those big events for me. An unexpected gift that couldn't be more my taste, my style, it was like I realized he really 'got me'.

The woman next to me heard the gasp and saw the earring. We were silent for a moment, forgetting the dolphin show. She looked at me and said, " Was it worth it?" Yeah, it was REALLY worth it.

The above photo is me, about 3 days later,petting a baby grey whale in the middle of Bahia Magdalena at about 6 in the morning. There is no civilization around and the quiet is blissful. The earring had been long forgotten. I rank this in the top 10 amazing moments of my life.

I find myself asking, "Is it worth it?" a lot as I make decisions for art show and projects. Recently I did a 'mini show'. It was only on display for two weeks. I made $50. When I added up my time and my gas it was WELL over $50. It wasn't not worth it. It's a frustrating gamble.

As I prepare for my next book, my next show, my next project I hope it is worth it. Sadly, when you start the journey you don't know what will be the end result. But it's hard to say no to a new adventure. Who knows, you may pet a baby whale in the wilds of Baja.