The Joy of Mapping

Do you ever think of careers you might have pursued, but for one reason or another didn’t follow up on? My list has never been a long one, but I did seriously consider becoming a cartographer at one point. This could be why I often include maps in my collage work now.
When I was in my early teens, a friend’s brother loaned me The Lord of the Rings because I was so excited by the maps Tolkien had included. Somehow they helped make his mythical world come alive for me.
By the time I was in my last year of high school, there were only two of us left taking geography. My teacher Mrs. Reddy was from New Delhi and trained as a classical Indian dancer. I can’t remember what the other student did during our classes, but I recall Mrs. Reddy practising her dance moves while I was drawing maps with a fountain pen, and then carefully filling them in with colored pencil. Depending on the map I was doing, I would add polar bears, whales and Hawaiian dancing girls.
Mrs. Reddy and I bonded over the map/dance thing and from time to time, I would usher at one of her performances. Of course I had to wear a sari on these occasions and once I stepped on the hem and the whole glorious outfit unravelled.
Well, I guess I got off topic here didn’t I? But I find that’s what happens when maps are involved. They always seem to lead me somewhere else.