questions month (answer #3) for surewood31

[thoreau]

#3 from surewood31: So Bob, if you had to compare your life to a movie, what movie would it be and who would be the person portraying you?

This is toughy - because well - I don't go to many movies. I actually get upset at paying $10 or more to see a movie, $7 for a soda, $8 for a popcorn and then I have to share the movie going experience with cell phone using gabbing gabbers - and I can't turn on subtitles to understand what's going on. LOL! so popular movies? I don't know. I don't go see them - so I thought through movies I do like... and well, since nobody has made a movie out of 'The Night Thoreau Spent In Jail' - I really needed to give this some thought.

and it occurs to me that my life - and my way of thinking is really much more stage related than movie screen related. I can recant lines from the dozens plays I've done over the years.

Buzz (Love!Valour!Compassion!):"Just once I'd like to see a "West Side Story" where everybody gets it; the Jets and the Sharks, and Officer Krupke; or a "Sound of Music" where the entire Von Trapp family dies in a horrible alpine avalanche; or "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" where nothing happens, and it's not funny."

Henry (The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail): "I’ve often wondered, Deacon Ball, if atheism might even be popular with God himself."

Guiteau (Assassins): "What a wonder is a gun - what a versatile invention! First of all when you've a gun (pulls weapon, aims it at the audience, 20 second pause, then laughs) everybody pays attention."

Dennis Shepard (The Laramie Project): "...this is the time to begin the healing process. To show mercy to someone who refused to show any mercy. To use this as the first step in my own closure about losing Matt. Mr. McKinney, I am not doing this because of your family. I am definitely not doing this because of the crass and unwarranted pressures put on by the religious community. If anything, that hardens my resolve to see you die. Mr. McKinney, I'm going to grant you life, as hard as that is for me to do, because of Matthew. Every time you celebrate Christmas, a birthday, or the Fourth of July, remember that Matt isn't. Every time that you wake up in that prison cell, remember that you had the opportunity and the ability to stop your actions that night. Every time that you see your cell mate, remember that you had a choice, and now you are living that choice. You robbed me of something very precious, and I will never forgive you for that. Mr. McKinney, I give you life in the memory of one who no longer lives. May you have a long life, and may you thank Matthew every day for it."

what is my point? - is that my play is in it's 2nd act - just past intermission. The first act was growing up in a military household, joining the military - getting kicked out, being an angry 20 year old - and even angrier 25-30 year old when all my friends starting dieing around me. spending my 30s in Idaho - raging against a relentless windmill of conservative political opponents and then deciding I deserved the life of my own - and not for other people - and moving to San Francisco with a dream - to have it not quite work out the way I wanted - to seeing me make that realization that the change in my life has to start with me - and then just as these years begin (2007, 2008, 2009) - the lights go down and the house comes up for intermission. The audience is overheard talking during intermission - - "good lord that first act felt like it was 40-fucking-years long - when is this character going to pull his head out and get on with it?" LOL!

So - my life? is a stage play - and I'm playing myself so far. I wouldn't wish playing me on anyone. LOL!

Thanks for such a lovely question - that resulted in such a soul searching answer.

Want to ask me question? go here and ask away! Bring-it!

Comments

[surewood31.livejournal.com]

I love that answer.

I know what you mean about plays. I still remember lines from the plays I did over 10 years ago. I miss acting.

I sometimes like to end with a quote. With what you have previously said, I think it fits with how your life is running. That as you are getting older, you are finding yourself more and in a sense shining brighter. The quote is from the play, "Our Town."

“The morning star always gets wonderful bright the minute before it has to go, -doesn’t it?”

[bukephalus.livejournal.com]

Wow, what a wonderful metaphor. Brilliant, insightful, funny. It's the perfect Bob post because you are all those things and more.

[budmassey.livejournal.com]

WOW! You are very good at self disclosure, and you accomplish it in a very creative and beautiful way.