Dealing with “rejection.”
Sometimes, no matter how hard you work or how badly you want something, things just don’t go your way.
That’s an objective fact of this game we play called “life.”
It’s been just over 5 months since my last blog post in which I discussed how shooting my shot resulted in a temporary stint as the CF Montreal team photographer. Looking back at how things ultimately played out, I began thinking about how blessed I was to work with the team in the first place, as well as how odd it is that I’m actually sad to not be involved with them anymore.
The TLDR on the last post is as follows:
I sent CF Montreal a DM through Instagram when I found out that COVID travel restrictions had forced the team into moving their home games into my backyard here in South Florida. One thing led to another and I started shooting their games and practices for a few months. I learned a ton and treasured every moment of working with the team.
The last time that I shot for the club was July 31st. Since then, I have watched the team return home to one of the most amazing cities on the planet and remain in playoff contention. Each and every day that goes by, I wish more and more that I could be a permanent part of the club. Between the excitement of the game, the love for the job, the adoration of the city, and the amazing relationships that I built with players and staff over that 3 month period, I know in my heart that working for CF Montreal to help tell the story of both the struggles and the triumphs would be the single most fulfilling job I could ask for.
As this became more evident to me, I recognized that I had to shoot my shot yet again. I put my name in the hat for consideration as the team does not have an official photographer. I sent my CV and a highly detailed, custom made PDF version of my portfolio to senior leadership. With everything going on, I know how very busy they are and cannot fault them for the priorities that they tend to. I don’t take it personally that I haven’t heard back from anyone, but it doesn’t get particularly easier as the days, weeks, and months roll by with no contact.
While I still hold out a small amount of hope that the club will reach out to me to at least discuss the potential opportunity, the situation has made me realize something quite important that seems to be ignored in society today:
It doesn’t matter how hard you work, or how badly you want something. Sometimes that’s not what life has in store for you, and that’s ok! I wanted (still do) this opportunity extremely bad. I see where the club is right now and knowing that I could undoubtedly help elevate it to new heights just makes me want it more. I worked hard while the team was here often staying after games for 3-4 hours editing photos and making sure the turnaround time was fast and the product was top notch. When you love what you do, and who you do it with, hard work is just the labor of love and doesn’t feel like work for a second.
The fact of the matter is that I know that I did my best for the team while they were in need during an unprecedented season. Being proud of the work that I produced and thankful for the relationships that developed over that period of time is what I should be focused on, nothing else. This ultimately should apply across various facets of life, not just photography: work, relationships, school, sports, whatever you are going through. Even if the end result isn’t what you truly wanted, find the positive in the experience (there is ALWAYS a positive) and be grateful for that.
-MA
