Journal 8 - Hailey Moore

 Hailey Moore 

English 1109 @1:30 M. - W. 

November 6, 2020

                                                                Journal 8 

                  In the book Callings, I think my top two favorite profiles from the book so far is "Dentist Thomas McGarvey, 71, Talks to his friend and patient Anne Brande, 40." and "Sculptor Olga Ayala, 57, talks to her ex-husband, 61, about her Mother, Artist Ramona Cruz.". I think the biggest comparison between these two stories was their love for their passion and career. McGarvey, the dentist, has an immense amount of passion for dentistry. McGarvey said, "But the happy moment that stands out the most in life is the day I got accepted to dentist school; I literally leaped five feet in the air." (Isay 50). He said that once he graduated he already had his own private practice planned out in his head and was ready to get started. He admitted to being a workaholic, but it wasn't work to him. It is something he still loves to do to this day. Olga was an artist inspired by her mother to fall into art. Her mother was an artist and wanted to do the same things she did. Olga said describing her drive of drawing, "When I didn't have to do schoolwork or chores, I was drawing. No piece of paper was safe around me." (Isay 82). Olga's mother was not able to become the artist she wanted to be, she put it on the back-burner to take care of her family.

                I think the most important contrast in these two profiles is what really drove them to love their career. McGarvey, he was more passionate for the work, he loved the challenges that was brought to him. McGarvey loved to solve them and loved his patients. McGarvey said, " I was absolutely having a creative, fun time with all of the patients I got to meet, and the different challenges of their problems. Some of these cases are difficult, and they are challenging, and you've got a lot of responsibility with them."(Isay 50-51). Olga got into her passion for art when she saw her mother doing it as she was a young child. I think her love for her mother gave her the drive to strive to be the best she can, and be the artist she is today. They were both inspirations to each-others art work. Olga said, "I miss that. And her unconditional love. So, I look at my art as a living testimony to her. She was my greatest muse."(Isay 84). 

                I think the one thing that I can really connect to is Olga's love and passion for drawing. I think when I was her age I had the same amount of drive for drawing. I can't count how many pieces of paper, and sketch books that I have gone through. Even at school, I would be drawing instead of doing my work. Olga said something that I really understood and related to, "I was always getting in trouble at school, because of instead of doing my lessons, I was drawing my teacher. I even had the nerve to go up and show the teacher the portrait I did instead of my work." (Isay 82).

This is my most recent and favorite drawing i've done so far. Drawing and painting is an escape that I have had from this world for so many years.