The Uncommon Observation

First, I must state for those of you who do not know me: I’m white. I’ve lived in a middle class setting for most of my life, and for many reasons, I’ve struggled in that life. But I cannot even begin to comprehend the discrimination, hatred, and racism the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) have endured over the past several hundred years. My point in this post is to equate a striking revelation I had while out on the street today. It’s not meant to ignore the situation, but it’s about how we, as a society, have become cavalier about racial bias in this country. Most importantly, it’s not enough.

Silent solidarity isn’t going to cut it anymore.

We need to enact change so that our “new normal” post-COVID includes a revolution on how we treat the BIPOC.

On the street today, a woman in yoga pants and a sports bra chatted with two men on the street. Her husky laid at her feet, with striking blue eyes, panting happily in the shade. They likely went for a run, and the poor pup sure needed the rest. I didn’t hear the specifics of the conversation, but it was one of a friendly manner. They spoke in length about something. They all shared a smile as they chatted. They candor was that of people on the same level.

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GuyOnAWire in 2020

Let’s start with the obvious. I’ve been away from this channel for quite some time, and yeah, I miss it. I thought that in order to be more productive in my writing career, I had to focus on the projects that could lead to paid gigs, like my screenplays. But then, I’d get home after a long day, and I’d do nothing, or waste time. The point is, I wasn’t writing.

When I wrote new blog posts in the past, it utilized a different part of the brain, but at the end of the day, I used my brain. The constant stream of output allowed the narrative functions to relax, and the analytical processes to ignite. I loved the feeling of being productive in multiple facets. If I was able to paint something (that I didn’t hate), I’d do that more, but even if I painted something God awful now, it would serve the same purpose as a blog. It’s an expression of the mind through other channels and that’s freeing. I miss that.

So here’s what I’m going to do.

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I Pranked a “Give Out Money” Scammer (from DHHS)!

FINAL UPDATE BELOW! 1/14

**UPDATED 12/10 with NEW Conversation below!

Scammers are everywhere and they try dozens of methods to swindle people out of their hard-earned money. The problem with these scammers is that they use the likenesses of the people you know and love. For example, here’s my ex-wife’s Mother’s name being used in an attempt to scam me. At first, I was so busy at work, that I assumed she forgot her old password and created a new Facebook profile. In the fervor of my job, I ignored my instinct and responded to this bait. Then, I began to enjoy the prospect of messing with the scammer.

*Note: I truly apologize for all of the typos on my end; they almost prevented me from posting this conversation, but the following was too much fun to keep to myself:

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Three Years in Los Angeles.

Today, I was gobsmacked with a wave of nostalgia. I went to a new restaurant for my office’s lunch run, Belcampo, on 3rd Street in LA, and it was there (in the Verve coffee shop next door) where I spent many a day typing away at my creative endeavors. Whether the focus was My Cancer Story, a screenplay, or the then-numerous blog posts (yeah, sorry about that), I spent my free time (of which I had ample supply then) ticking away at my form of expression. On November 8th, it will have been three years since I moved into my first apartment here, the temporary room rental on Blackburn Ave.

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Living Up to My Expectations

“Set a goal. Accomplish it. Set another goal.”

While I never heard Donald Wade utter these words, I live by them each and every day. Sometimes to a fault; I’m hard on myself because I know those hours I sneak away watching mindless YouTube Videos don’t add to my career, but nevertheless, I’m maximizing my efficiency daily.
When I moved out to Los Angeles two years ago, it was to begin a chain reaction of goals in which to accomplish. I spent over a decade of my life post-cancer doing little regarding creativity or towards a profession. Sure, I went to school for four of those years and made some films, but the momentum from the education stalled, and I was left to wander aimlessly.

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Fighting to Maintain Your Goals

Boy, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?

In fact, I hadn’t realized it had been five weeks since my last post until I sat down to write this cry for creative sanity. I’m not even certain how this post will do considering Facebook recently ruined the ability to hotlink automatically from WordPress.

Sure, I’ve been chipping away at the My Cancer Story rewrite when I’m able (the now vacant tentpole of this blog for two years), and I’ve been recording notes and elements for other projects (as I’m wont to do), but this past month has been one of the busiest ever let alone since I’ve moved to Los Angeles. I’m living my dream, but if I’m not too careful, I’ll tumble backward into someone else’s.

Let me explain.Read More »