Open Your Mind and Find Talents You Never Knew You Had

During my years of high school, video production had been a huge passion of mine. I enjoyed going to various events with a video camera and tripod and could spend several hours in an editing room. Video production was something I was good at and found myself yearning to do more of.

While I spent lots of time in editing rooms with the footage I had taken, doing digital photography with still pictures was something I never considered. I was closed minded at the time and didn't think the skills could really translate. I enjoyed working with moving pictures instead of still images and never gave thought to using a still camera.

When high school ended, I moved away from home and decided to become more open minded in regards to trying different activities. I hadn't planned on learning digital photography before I went to college but eventually picked up the hobby...on accident.

I was scheduled to help out with a promotional event with our campus radio station and decided to bring my small digital camera with me. I decided that while I was in college, I may as well have something to capture the memories with. I took the time to take several pictures at the event and didn't think much of them when I edited them.

After the photos were edited, I received lots of positive feedback from the people who worked at the radio station. As a result, I started taking more pictures at different events and received similar feedback. When we got done with one event in particular, my friend Cat mentioned something I hadn't given much thought to:

"You ought to become a photographer."

It was just an idea but enough for me to want to pursue the hobby even more. I ended up upgrading to a larger camera, took a photography class and a new hobby was born! I went from taking pictures at campus radio station events to sporting events and charity events.

During this time, I realized I was developing the same passion I had for video production. I was motivated to improve my technique, get out with the camera and find different events to take pictures at. I was enjoying a hobby I closed myself off to in high school but found a passion when I became more open minded about giving it a try.

Finding Time to Do Something That Has Been Apart of You For a Long Time...Priceless

Announcing sporting events had been a huge part of my life when I was in high school and college. There were several Friday and Saturday nights spent in old gyms, high school stadiums and small college venues calling the action for local radio and television stations. Calling games had been a big part of my life during that time and I look back on those times with great memories.

When college ended, I entered "the real world" and didn't have much of an opportunity to call games at all. I spent a lot of time adjusting to life after college but didn't spend a lot of time in old gyms, high school stadiums or small college venues calling the action. Something that had been a big part of my life wasn't there anymore.

Right before 2011 began, I received an e-mail from a neighbor of mine asking if I would be interesting in calling a Solon hockey game for the local community station. I hadn't called any type of sporting event in a couple of years and couldn't belief an opportunity presented itself. I said yes and ended up having a blast when I called the game two days later.

One year later, another opportunity presented itself to call two Solon hockey games and a wrestling match. I immediately said yes to these opportunities because I wanted to call the games again. I didn't care where and when the game or match was going to be played; I wanted to be in front of the microphone again.

The first game I called was a hockey game between Solon and Brecksville-Broadview Heights and the experience started to bring back great memories. The action was back and forth and as the game went into overtime, I couldn't help but be in the moment. It reminded me of so many close games I had called before and realized how much fun I was having behind the microphone again.

Not too long after that hockey game, I had an opportunity to call a Solon vs Maple Heights wrestling match. I personally hadn't been to a match in a couple of years and couldn't wait for the opportunity. Within the first couple of matches, I knew I was having fun again and couldn't help but feel grateful for the experience.

In both of these instances and with the second hockey game I would call a couple weeks after the wrestling match, I couldn't help but realize how much fun I had. Calling games had been a big part of my life in high school and college and on three separate occasions, I was able to do something I love once again. It was on a small scale but it didn't matter; what mattered was I had the opportunity to do something that had been apart of my life for a long time.