Just something about nothing

I'm at the end of my rope regarding the studio. I have so much work piled up that I want to scream. But it won't do any good and I'm afraid is will be misconceived as a mating call by undesirables.

Dad expects me to stop what I'm doing to either correct some digital photo error or print an order he needs or burn CD's, etc.... and so I do. Only to put my work behind. After I've done what he's asked, he lectures me about my work load and tells me what orders I should be working on (nevermind what order I took them in--he wants the fast $$ orders done first--meaning the ones I don't have to do much work on).

I keep telling him that he needs to practice with the photo programs and to learn how to burn CD's (I've shown him 7 times how to use the CD-W wizard--maybe he needs a fairy)... I keep saying..."What if something happened to me and I couldn't work? or What if I got married? and moved away!"... he makes a frowny face when I say these things. I got word from my brother that Dad thinks I'll be here forever.

Forever is a long time and I feel I've served the time.

I'll bee 44 in a few weeks. It's not that I dont' love my job. I do. And I will continue to do it...but I don't think it will be here. At the studio. Dad's been dangling the carrot of ownership before my eyes for the last 10 years. Every year, he say's..."Come this time next year, I'm turning the studio over to you." And he never does.

Our visions of the future are different. I think it's time we concentrate on restoration work. He thinks we can revive portrait settings--I disagrre. The digital era has introduced every Tom, Dick, Harry, Jane and Mary to digital cameras and the ease of them. They're doing their own photos...all except school photography and special occasion stuff like weddings, reunions, etc. They're creating their own Christmas/greeting cards, etc...

But not many can get a good quality copy of a photo--scanned or copied digitally. Nor can all of them understand photoshop or other editing programs. They bring their old photos to me...because I can do a better job.

But Dad's a dinosaur. He's not ready to leave the 'film' era, even as we're forced to do so. He's not ready to give up the throne and turn it over to his successor. I know this...

if he wasn't my father, I would have been gone 12 years ago. But he is...and mixed in this is a blood relation, that causes my decisions to be made with a heavy heart.

There comes a time, when you have to step away from your family--whether it's home life or business and say, "Now's the time for me... now is my time for happiness."

And that's what I plan to do.... my goals are to take small steps, as I plan them. And to make things as easy for all parties as I can.

Yes... I'm rambling but that's what a blog's for....to handle the rambles along with the rants and the laughter.