The Talk

"Smoking" - by ototoi @ deviantART

Well, I finally had "the talk" with my dad today. I kind of figured I would, since we went to see Star Trek (which was totally cool, by the way) at our nearest IMAX theater a half hour away. 

The topic was actually inadvertently brought up by me, because I had mentioned during lunch how the weather was perfect for writing (it's been storming and raining all day), which led to my dad asking whether I was close to having anything looked at by a publisher/agent. After talking about that for a bit, I told him that writing would probably be something I do on the side, unless it ends up earning me a lot of cash. And that led to the big question:

"Then what's your plan? In an ideal world, what would Evaah be doing?"

And I told him.

I wasn't overly specific; I just said "psychic art" and also mentioned that I would also like to teach down the road. Fortunately, he didn't ask what psychic art encompassed. I wasn't ready to sit there and tell him about auras, past lives, and - Shiva help me - spirit guides. 

My dad is agnostic. And ironically enough, before the film (the talk was after the film), we were discussing religion and how my dad feels like he shouldn't waste his time chasing the truth because he knows he's never going to find it out. So with that in mind, I'd rather not make myself look even more like a fool in his eyes by explaining these things to him. 

But you know something? He actually seemed open to what I was telling him. Of course, he was still trying to make me see life from a "realistic" point of view, and convince me that art school is still worth my time because it can get me connections and a well-paying job, but after I explained my feelings, he told me that if, by chance, some aspect of this psychic art thing can really make me stand out from the rest, he'd be willing to support me.

That made me even more hopeful.

I never enjoy talks like those because I always end up flustered. I say the wrong things and make myself sound like an idiot. I can tell my attitude has changed, though - even as he challenged me, I didn't feel the slightest urge to cry. I felt resolute and very sure of myself and my decision. That's progress. I'm proud of myself.

So that's another step down. Now that my dad is much more informed, I can continue making progress with my research and website and hopefully convince him that I (A) won't stay cooped up in the house all day and (B) will build strong foundations for myself and be successful on this path. Will it be easy? Probably not. But at least I've passed the hardest step - telling my dad - and can look forward to some exploration time and adventure as I determine whether this path is as fruitful as the universe says. 

The doors have opened. Now let's see what they all have to offer.