Suite101

La Serenissima


© Kelly L. Henderson

Somebody asked me recently the significance of the photograph of Venice at the top of the Follow Your Passion site. Well, as you can imagine it's a little hard to visualize an abstract concept like that of "following passions". What exactly does such a thing look like?

When I was choosing an image, I looked at many pictures trying to find one that evoked the idea or the feeling behind the topic. When I came across the photos of Venice I remembered my old passion for Europe, a passion that I did indeed follow. Once upon a time my desire to travel to Europe was the driving force behind my whole life.

When I was a teenager I wanted to travel. I read a lot about travel. I watched television programs about travel. I dreamed of travel. Most of all I wanted to travel abroad. In fact, for a long time I believed if I didn't get to Europe in my lifetime my whole life would have been wasted. Extreme, no? But that is truly how I felt.

Unfortunately, my family were not international travellers, I didn't have any friends who wanted to travel, and I was too shy and inexperienced to travel by myself. Furthermore, I didn't have anywhere near the kind of money one would need to travel abroad.

When I graduated from university I was officially poor, jobless, and indebted courtesy of my student loan. Nevertheless, I still hoped to go to Europe some day. And one day I did - but it took another eight long years.

Eventually I travelled to Europe several times, travelling on my own or with others. On one trip I spent a few particularly lovely days in and around Venice, La Serenissima, and remember that city with special fondness. Hence, my picture selection.

Eventually the novelty of travelling "the continent" wore off. I had done Europe, at least, that is, to the extent I could begin to think about other things in my life. (I have not crossed the ocean for several years now, and since my last trip, unfortunately, I have developed an aversion to long flights and tight, cramped airplane seats. Poor curmudgeonly me!)

Anyway, my point is this: Europe was my passion at one time. If I hadn't found my way there I would have regretted it all my life. Instead I managed to fulfill that passion and overcome my constant yearning for it. It was only after I'd done so that I was able to move on in life and concentrate on other matters.

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Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: View all related messages

4.   Aug 19, 2001 7:21 AM
In response to message posted by Niviuk:

Hi Niviuk!
Thanks so much for writing. I am always thrilled to hear from a new read ...

-- posted by klhwriter


3.   Aug 19, 2001 4:55 AM
Hi!
I'm Niviuk and I just discover Suite101 and your section about passions. I'd just graduated at the University this June and for the first time I've been lost. My passion had disappeared for a neg ...

-- posted by Niviuk


2.   Aug 13, 2001 9:56 AM
In response to message posted by CrabApple:

Hi CrabApple,
Good to hear from you!
Yes, I agree opposition or indifference ...


-- posted by klhwriter


1.   Aug 13, 2001 1:42 AM
Kelly,
It is important to follow your passion because if you don't you will always feel frustrated and will be full of regret when you are too old to follow that passion.

Sometimes there is opposi ...


-- posted by CrabApple





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