Climbing A Mountain

byBellalion

4.7K followers

Updated 6 years ago

In the beginning:

When you attempt to do something new you may feel excited or overwhelmed. In any case you start with a single task and begin. I had always wanted to be an artist like my talented younger sister. Judy could create magic with a single stroke of what ever medium she was working with. I watched in awe as she with magnificent ease sketched a landscape that would rival any still photo. I want to do that I thought.

The Natural:

Judy had never had an art lesson; she was what they call a natural. Judy did not seek to expand her talent or even want to become an artist. She just liked to dabble; it relaxed her. She gave away her art work. Judy would create works of art for her friends and family. Her chosen career was numbers. Judy loved bookkeeping, but alas she was no good with numbers. I on the other hand disliked numbers but was an excellent bookkeeper.

Conflict:

I know most of you already know where this is going, but you'd be wrong. My sister was always in conflict with whatever I chose to do. I would smile tightly and agree with whatever she said just to walk away from a confrontation. Judy was forever jealous of my achievements. She felt she would never live up to my mother's constant comparisons. I on the other hand tried to assure her she was great just the way she was. I asked if she would teach me to sketch and she refused. She felt I might excel with my artwork and she wanted to keep that skill as her achievement not mine.

Who and Why?

I love my sister no matter what her problems with me were. Why was she so threatened? I excelled academically. I am convinced Judy could have excelled too, but she never felt inclined to focus on academics. Looking back, I guess if you had a big sister who was a writer, scientist and teacher; you might feel intimidated too. I never thought about it. I was just busy being who I was.

Conclusion:

I made time in my busy schedule to take art classes. The only thing I achieved was making a square. Later, I used that square to make a house. The shapes I practiced became recognizable everyday objects. I found I could copy compositions and had a good eye for colors. I will never have the ease with which my sister creates art, but I did learn to do what I wanted. It began with that simple square, the first step climbing my mountain, the beginning.