I’m gonna be famous!

Okay, not in the “super-mega-star-Jennifer Aniston/Jennifer Garner/Meg Ryan” kind of way, but in the “small-I’ve-never-heard-of-but-it-must-be-looked-at-by-someone-travel-guide-photograph-byline” kind of way.

I woke up this morning to sunshine (okay, it was still dark when I woke up, but the sun came out shortly after that), the promise of a brand new day, excited to be on the brink of change in our country, and jumped online to check my email. In my inbox I found this email from the managing editor of “Schmap Guides.”

Hi Saj,

I am writing to let you know that one of your photos has
been short-listed for inclusion in the sixth edition of our
Schmap Chicago Guide, to be published mid-February 2009.

Whaaa????? Someone has seen my pictures (besides my family and friends) and thinks I did a nice job!? No f$*#ing way!!!!!

Later in the email, it says this:

While we offer no payment for publication, many
photographers are pleased to submit their photos, as Schmap
Guides give their work recognition and wide exposure, and
are free of charge to readers.

I’m not so sure about the “wide exposure” as I’ve never heard of this Schmap thing before, but I’ve also never searched anything like this out before. And I suppose I’m okay with the “no payment” part of it. Hell yeah! My picture could be publicized! I’m on my way, world!

Oh, I suppose you’d all like to see the picture. Here it is, in all of its glory…

Yea me!

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I love being an American. What an amazing day it was today. I loved the fanfare, the hype, the millions of people packed in to the Mall to watch the inauguration of our 44th president.

At the hospital today, most of my patients* had one of the news channels on to watch the proceedings. I was in one room during the performance by Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Anthony McGill, and Gabriela Montero and she had her TV on MUTE! Seriously! “I didn’t want to disturb anyone” was her excuse. I couldn’t reach her control until they were done performing and Obama was 90% done with taking the Oath of Office, but those musicians really looked like they were having a good time! Watching it tonight was great to see.

But I’m glad I got to watch it in the comfort of my home, bundled up on my couch, remote in hand to skip through the not-so-great stuff (i.e. Aretha Franklin in her crazy hat singing “My Country ‘Tis of Thee”), dreaming of what’s to come.

*Not everyone had the inauguration on. Just down the hall from my lady with the mute TV was a man watching “Tom and Jerry.” Slightly to the other end of the scale, but to each their own!