by Violet Scott

Created on: November 04, 2008   Last Updated: November 20, 2008

Destiny was never something that I fully believed in. I was of the school that believed, rather, that hard work leads to success, nothing ventured, nothing gained, that you get what you give.

Growing up, I fully adopted the idea that if certain aspects of my life were not turning out as hoped or planned, it was because I was not working hard enough, or that it was because I had not sacrificed enough to make the good things manifest themselves into my life. I lived with the notion that nothing would just come my way, that if I wanted something, I had to hunt it down and take it for myself.

Then, one day... those three mystical, magical words, meaning that at one specific moment in time, everything you believed, everything you were taught, is proven wrong, by one moment, one action, one person.

That day for me was Superbowl Sunday. February 3rd, 2008. Normally, a day spent with family, stuffing ourselves with junk food, and cheering for opposing teams, just to have something to get at each other with,

But there I was, crouched down with my new camera, ( a gift to myself after a recent, and rather turbulent break-up), and I am aiming the lens up the trunk of this magnificent man-made tree, all rusted steel scales to form the bark on the trunk, stretching up to a giant juniper root, firmly anchored on top, it's 'branches' reaching out, grasping in chaotic directions at the vivid sunset behind it. I have always been enthralled by trees, leaves, flowers, or just nature in general, and the ability of humans to capture the essence of Earth continues to fascinate me.

I hold my finger down on the shutter button, focusing in on that perfect shot. 'Snap'. I take the picture. Pulling my face away from the viewfinder, I catch motion from the corner of my eye. Squinting over my camera, I look up at him, sauntering over to me, hands in his jeans pockets, a scruffy goatee, and sage eyes peeking out from underneath a brown knit cap. As I scrambled up off the dirty concrete, He smiles.

He says, " Hi."

He says "I just thought I would introduce myself to the girl taking pictures of my tree."

BAM!

Fate. Destiny. Predestination. Karma. Divine circumstance. Whatever you call it, when my eyes locked onto those jade orbs of his, I knew that at that particular moment, I was exactly where I was supposed to be, at exactly the right time.

Three hours later, after a tour of his gallery and workshop, after intense conversation, and discovered common interests, and there I am, cruising home in my beat

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