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The Woman in the Arena

Feb 14, 2023 | By: Billie-Jean Duff

𝑻𝒉𝒆 (𝑾𝒐)π’Žπ’‚π’ π’Šπ’ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒂

𝑰𝒕 π’Šπ’” 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’„π’“π’Šπ’•π’Šπ’„ π’˜π’‰π’ 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒔; 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’˜π’π’Žπ’‚π’ π’˜π’‰π’ π’‘π’π’Šπ’π’•π’” 𝒐𝒖𝒕 π’‰π’π’˜ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’”π’•π’“π’π’π’ˆ π’˜π’π’Žπ’‚π’ π’”π’•π’–π’Žπ’ƒπ’π’†π’”, 𝒐𝒓 π’˜π’‰π’†π’“π’† 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒆 π’•π’‰π’†π’Ž 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 π’„π’“π’†π’…π’Šπ’• π’ƒπ’†π’π’π’π’ˆπ’” 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’˜π’π’Žπ’‚π’ π’˜π’‰π’ π’Šπ’” π’‚π’„π’•π’–π’‚π’π’π’š π’Šπ’ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒂, π’˜π’‰π’π’”π’† 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆 π’Šπ’” π’Žπ’‚π’“π’“π’†π’… π’ƒπ’š 𝒅𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 π’”π’˜π’†π’‚π’• 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅; π’˜π’‰π’ π’”π’•π’“π’Šπ’—π’†π’” π’—π’‚π’π’Šπ’‚π’π’•π’π’š; π’˜π’‰π’ 𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒔, π’˜π’‰π’ π’„π’π’Žπ’†π’” 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒕 π’‚π’ˆπ’‚π’Šπ’ 𝒂𝒏𝒅 π’‚π’ˆπ’‚π’Šπ’; π’˜π’‰π’ 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 π’Šπ’ 𝒂 π’˜π’π’“π’•π’‰π’š 𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆; π’˜π’‰π’ 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 π’Œπ’π’π’˜π’” π’Šπ’ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’•π’“π’Šπ’–π’Žπ’‘π’‰ 𝒐𝒇 π’‰π’Šπ’ˆπ’‰ π’‚π’„π’‰π’Šπ’†π’—π’†π’Žπ’†π’π’•, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 π’˜π’‰π’ 𝒂𝒕 π’˜π’π’“π’”π’•, π’Šπ’‡ 𝒔𝒉𝒆 π’‡π’‚π’Šπ’π’”, 𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕 π’‡π’‚π’Šπ’π’” π’˜π’‰π’Šπ’π’† π’…π’‚π’“π’Šπ’π’ˆ π’ˆπ’“π’†π’‚π’•π’π’š, 𝒔𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆 π’˜π’Šπ’•π’‰ 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 π’•π’Šπ’Žπ’Šπ’… 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒔 π’˜π’‰π’ π’Œπ’π’π’˜ π’π’†π’Šπ’•π’‰π’†π’“ π’—π’Šπ’„π’•π’π’“π’š 𝒐𝒓 𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒕.

~ 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒐𝒅𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝑹𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒕

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I can't imaging anyone enjoying the task of updating their website, I know I haven't. It's been a task daysΒ in the making, plugging away a few hours a day onΒ details, fine tuning elements until I recognize the need to turn off the OCD. It has been mentally exhausting, however a much needed refresh. Β I've never spent much time in the past building a proper website beyond a place to offer event galleries for sale.

One of the most challenging aspects was providing relevant context to my professional experience, and in examining where I am in my career, where I've been and where I want to go, I was reminded I've had some exceptional experiences.

One story in particular stands out. Calgary Stampede 2018. A gentleman on the outside of the arena was admiring my lens and asked if he could snap a photo of it. We conversed for a brief few seconds in between competition where he told me his son was into photography and would enjoy seeing the lens (a Canon 300mm F 2.8 IS). Overhearing the conversation, a woman beside the man interjected with a smile commenting to the man - that's a woman in that arena, you should be taking a photo of her. The man chuckled and nodded in agreement, and I may or may not have blushed.Β 

I don't know if that man ever showed his son the lens, or kept the photo of me in the arena, but that experienceΒ has always stayed with me.Β 
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