Paloma was very focused and liked to make sure she finished what she started, and nothing could divert her from her mission. She saw her end goal, and all effort was focused on that, with no time to see what embellishments could be made. She was considered very efficient, and was very proud of that recognition. And she was sought after as an anomaly in her business - she was an artist, with a Type A personality. But she never seemed to learn anything she didn't already know, and all her efforts resulted in affirmation of her goal. Such a goal-oriented person could make things turn out the way she wanted. One day she was offered an opportunity to spend some time studying in a far away land, where she had never been, and a place where not many outsiders ever had the chance to visit. This place was know for its unusual culture, and was just starting to be discovered by the rest of the world.

But Paloma was working on a project, and decided not to go. Who could take her project to the conclusion she felt was the only result that would be acceptable? Then, a few weeks after her opportunity was long beyond any change of heart, she was traveling on a train, going from a place in her past to an opportunity in her future, and by chance met an artist from the land she had deemed inconvenient. The person had a portfolio and photos, and drawings and scripts and tapes - and even videos on his computer he could share, all from shows which he had been producing in his country, and it was simply amazing to Paloma. They spent the long hours of the trip poring over the materials as he shared his art with Paloma, and it filled her with awe. And yet it devastated her. For she realized that nothing she could have been doing would have compared to experiencing first hand the culture that was behind such a fascinating art form. And she knew she could never be so focused on a performance goal that she missed actually living amongst the art.

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