Morsels of genius rarely come to us, and it’s even worse when you never have the morsels and just try to wing it with a “clever” blog post. When I say “clever”, I mean remotely funny and informative. For now, I’m just listening to the “Nerdist” and thinking, “There’s so much I want to talk about…so much I want to write about, here, at this broken, wobbly table.” And yet, sitting here at this table, looking at the people around me, it reminds me of how fantastic people are. So many are studying, on their computers, reading their books, and I can’t help but wonder…what kind of lives do these people lead. Now I realize I’m rambling a bit, but there will be a method to this madness.
Image: Sura Nualpradid / FreeDigitalPhotos.netEarlier today I was talking with my coworker about how high school doesn’t teach people the basics of being a “grown up”. We don’t talk about money, renting a home, buying a car, building credit, or even how to cook. Instead we’re thrust into the adult world with little more than our wits and a vague understanding of how things function. And the more I realize that we really don’t know what we’re doing as a species, the scarier it becomes. Because so many people live life just doing their thing, making it through day in and day out, just hoping for a piece of the American Dream, while at the same time not knowing what we need to do to get it. We spend a majority of our life working, making money, and we may never get a taste of what it’s like to be wealthy, to do what we love and are passionate about, and we never truly know what it’s like to be a grown up. Instead we wander through life, hoping that we’ll make it to the next paycheck, that we’ll keep our friends who have no idea what the hell they’re doing either, and keep our eyes and our imaginations on the one thing that keeps us going, our dreams. I mean, I wrote that whole bit after Job’s death and about his inspirational speeches and how he did what he loved and then a week later…it hits me. That’s a speech for the 1% who get to live out those ambitions. That sucks.
I have a dream to be a writer, a voice over artist, and a podcaster/blogger. I think my thoughts, my opinions, and my insight have some value. Sure, it’s not as valuable as say…uhh…cash, but it’s got to be worth something to someone, even if it’s just me. And yet, there are people who still stumble upon my little blog, and my little podcasts, and they’ll say something, offer to buy my laptop, stuff like that, and it reminds me that there’s at least ONE other person who is entertained, informed, or at least compelled enough to actually write in, call in, or comment. So does that mean that’s enough for me to reach my inevitable goal of stardom? Well, no, of course not, but it keeps me moving forward.
Everywhere I go, I people watch, mostly because people are interesting. They have crazy conversations, they get pissed over the little things, and they are just like you and me. Do you ever do that? Look at the people around you and say, “Hey, these guys have crazy ass lives. They are someone’s lover, friend, or arch enemy. They could be my boss, my girlfriend, or something…and they could have the secret that leads us to what we want in life. Maybe.” And that thought compels me, to do the podcast, the blog, that maybe someone will hear or read something I say and find that secret. One that wasn’t meant for me, but was meant for them. So I speak to my friends, I encourage people to do things that scare them, that challenge them, and that push them all in hopes that they’ll reach that awesome dream they want. I don’t want recognition or some kind of “thanks”, I just freakin’ can’t stop wanting to help people, and hope that in helping them I too find the key to happiness.
So now I’m here, at the coffee shop, watching people working on classes, scripts, and whatnot, all searching for the path and passion that will lead to their joy. The success, the recognition, and the knowledge of knowing that they have done what others could not. And though we live in a world full of morons and geniuses, we still hold onto that dream of becoming awesome, of living the good life, and becoming SOMETHING. Whether it be from our merit or by relation (ala those stupid reality show people who get famous for being idiots…mild rage for those people) we all want to be something more than we are. I know I want to be rich and famous doing voices and talking about geek love and nerd stuff on internet radio…though I may not be doing enough things to get me there, but that’s what I want. Other’s want to just have a house of their own, or a place where their kids can grow up to be smart and have a chance to be what they could not. Crazy. We all want to be something…anything, as long as it means we are better.
Now I sit at my broken table with dreams of being a success and doing things that are awesome. I sit at this table watching others make their way to becoming a success, to becoming awesome. I’m looking at the podcast, the blog, wondering what I can do to make it great. Hell, this blog post isn’t helping, I know that much…and least of all it wasn’t supposed to get all preachy like this. Sorry people. If you made it this far, you deserve a pat on the back and a shout out, because that’s an accomplishment in itself. But let me just finish up this mess with one last thing. The people around me, with their lives a plenty, with their own stories and their own drama, and their own problems…help me think outside my box, help me figure out my life or in the very least, appreciate it, even if I don’t know truly what their life is like, but if you watch them enough, you’ll get a taste of it. And maybe all you need is that taste to inspire, encourage, and push you to get up and away from that wobbly table…or better yet, fix it. Damn, there I go being cryptic again.
