Somehow I came across this video on Bea Arther presenting at the Joan Collin's roast and I couldn't help to sit and watch video after video of her. She really was pretty extraordinary.
Thank you for everything you gave us!
Find out what's on my mind and what is going on my life. Or, maybe just drop a note and tell me what you think.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
The Course of a Year
It’s Tuesday, December 13th. We’re on the stretch of the twelve days of Christmas and into the final stretch of 2011. Where does that leave me?
I am normally someone who reflects often but I never really spend a ton of time reflecting on the past year as we approach New Years. For some reason, this year just seems to be different. I am in a spot right now that I had never imagined when I began this year. Where I would be was undefined, but I was confident that it wouldn’t be working a restaurant job in my home town. That, unfortunately, saddens me a little and it shouldn’t. I have no reason in the world to be sad and that is why it is necessary for me to do a check on what I have accomplished, have had huge hurdles with, and how have evolved in that span of three hundred and sixty-five days.
Before we reflect on the past year though, I believe it to be extremely important to look at what we know for certain that the next year will bring. I know for a fact that I will be turning thirty-two next year and have to deal with whatever that means to me. I know that I have some really extraordinary people in my life getting married which include my close friend Beth and my cousin who has always been another sister to me.
In April I will be returning to Los Angeles in the hopes of making it to a point where I am able to live as a self employed person who can contribute the absolute most possible to society. That move also has the motive of making steps forward on the opportunity to live not only in Los Angeles, but in Madison, WI as well. In my adulthood, I truly know how difficult it is to not be near your family. Not just your biological family, but your entire family that you pick up along the way while traveling our journeys.
I also know that in 2012, there will be everything that I didn’t mention. It is equally important to acknowledge there is so much room for everything we don’t know will happen. Our journey is the meat and that meat is everything that is unexpected, not forethought and comes up in the details. Knowing that you haven’t planned everything and there is room for the unplanned is comforting. Find comfort in the year to come knowing that things will happen that we are not prepared for and that we will have the tools to handle it; whatever it may be. Acknowledging these future events can better help me think about this past year.
Today I got three remarkable things in the mail: A post card, a Christmas post card and a Christmas card. The significance of this mail is who sent them. I speak of inspiration often and this mail has brought me inspiration from how strong and amazing these people are who mailed them to me. In the last year, they have all went against some life-breaking obstacles and have came out better because of them. That is inspiring.
The post card came from Korea. One of my past employees from Starbucks made a decision on a whim when a friend invited her to come stay with his family in South Korea, nanny and teach English. With no preparation except the drive for new experiences and adventure, she said yes only having two months to make sure everything would be put in place in Los Angeles.
The Christmas post card came from one of my closest college friends and her family. The picture is her, her husband and their beautiful baby boy, Catcher. This last year she finished graduate school on the east coast, picked up everything with her new family and moved across the country saying good bye to the life they had built and some phenomenal human beings they had met while living in the north east.
The Christmas card that I received today was from a friend down south. She had a rollercoaster of a year that gave her some great steps forward revolutionizing an arts community that is already ahead of its time. She has taken a chance by putting herself out there for a man who is near the level of brilliance she is; all this happening in the midst of losing a job in a career path she had put her whole being into. This has not stopped her one bit, and has used it as an opportunity to create exactly what she wants for her life. Her journey is only ten times stronger because of this hiccup.
As I look at my year, I spend time looking at answers to the question why? Why did I give up my nice salaried job in Los Angeles? Why did I throw all of my money into the opportunity to travel and meet people throughout the country? And, why have I continued to take a chance on a media company that needed a lot more work than I could give to it this last year? Well I look at the events of this past year and find all of these answers and so much more.
I find the answers in the moment I was on top of the world, or just on the roof of a restaurant in Saint Petersburg, FL watching the sunset, listening to a man play music watching three older women dancing having the time of their lives. Again I find answers watching my friend Alyssa give her whole self while listening to painful story after painful story when we were in Tuscaloosa. Not blinking or turning away, just listening, reminding me of the importance of listening.
I remember my phone going absolutely crazy the morning I made the Today Show and everyone was facebooking, calling and texting me to tell me they saw me. Answers came from my surprising cab drive at seven in the morning in New Orleans, learning a valuable life lesson from a New Orleans resident for the entirety of his life. This twenty minute cab ride in search for beignets will forever be in my mind.
The moment I realized I was taking spiritual responsibility for my god daughter in Las Vegas and then later sitting with close friends discussing music from our past hits me with answers as does getting picked up at the Milwaukee airport in a snow thunderstorm in the middle of April by Melanie for her birthday. Later that week, I got the opportunity to experience a ride along with the keeper of the Kishwaukee Corridor in Rockford, IL.
I am not only given the answers but am reassured of the path I am on when I think about Dina and I doing our two year anniversary show in Los Angeles. Having created this experience with one my best friends is reason why all by itself. Reassurance is sitting on a stopped train for six hours on the way to New York because of tornadoes knocking over trees onto the tracks. This “delay” gave me the opportunity to have an in depth conversation with a mother of two just trying to get back home to Raleigh. I am further reassured by the spontaneity of life when a random trip to the only bar open in Beaumont, TX introduced four tired travelers to Rhonda, a drag queen who just needed to get out that night.
I remember sitting listening to Arlene Goldbard talk at the APASO conference in Austin and knowing I was exactly where I should be as well as when I met Jo in Tampa. Her story of traveling for so long on the sailboat, her journey with Yoga and running the Olympic torch is something of legends.
Whether it was sitting in the car on a trip to Las Vegas with a toddler, late night recordings on skype, waiting for Matt to get me at Penn Station, finding out the ins of the EPA and adventures of free D.C., getting a surprise travel companion to Baltimore, seeing behind the scenes of Cirque Du Soleil, wading through the beautiful and untouched by man Hurricane Creek, experiencing the demonstrations in St. Paul for gay marriage, or an afternoon impromptu photo shoot with a close friend, I have been given all of the answers to the questions why from this past year.
I am thankful for all of these moments and am eternally grateful for each one as well as everyone that was involved. I laugh at how some of these memories really were so time-sensitive and just worked out. Getting a moment with Holly literally minutes before she got on a flight to India, getting a lunch with Michael as he was driving from one show sight to the next and just sitting with Adam while he was home from Dubai.
The distance from the beginning of a year to the end of one is so short that we need to cherish and reflect on this distance so we can appreciate what has happened and what will come. The beginning of this year was sitting at Big Wangs in Hollywood as Dina and I watched our phones patiently for the launch of our online magazine. In the life movie in my head, that is a significant scene, as well as an impromptu country music concert with Dolly and April and my staff being so supportive just last night, as we had an event that did not produce the turn out I had expected. The pictures and moments with my staff make this year’s journey whole. I was supposed to have this experience back home with the group of people I had it with.
I could go on and on with moments and experiences from this last year, but that is not the only reason why this journey is significant. For me, even though it is a bit selfish, I was to get to know myself better. In observing and experiencing our country, I inevitably got a chance to view myself in a more clearly defined light. I needed to get to know me for who I am and get a better idea of how I am perceived from the outside. I needed to take some time and see if the view from the outside matches who I claim and think I am. All these experiences help to make that assessment on this gigantic integrity check.
As for the rest of the year, I will continue to look at the goals I have made and setting up a plan of action into getting those goals fulfilled. While finding comfort in the balance of who I want to be and who I am from the outside world, I need to still make sure I am being productive and moving forward. I additionally need to take time to recognize those who have supported and been inspirational to my past year. That is necessary as I move forward. Those people responsible for me getting this far need to know how impactful they have been because it is true, WE ARE ALL INVOLVED! This was not the journey of one person.
As the New Year approaches, I want to go further with the WE ARE ALL INVOLVED campaign by turning my resolutions into acts that include a larger amount of people than just me. I ask that if this inspires you, that you also involve others in your resolutions. Stray away from losing ten pounds and reading more and turn it into getting a walking group together who meets at lunch, or creating a youth reading program. This is the direction we need to be evolving; from me to we. To become stronger and healthier as a community, we have to be united and start watching out for one another. It is that level of social responsibility that will get our dreams accomplished as a whole entity and raise the level of brilliance even higher for our entire species. It is a simple statement that has become my mantra.
WE ARE ALL INVOLVED!
I am normally someone who reflects often but I never really spend a ton of time reflecting on the past year as we approach New Years. For some reason, this year just seems to be different. I am in a spot right now that I had never imagined when I began this year. Where I would be was undefined, but I was confident that it wouldn’t be working a restaurant job in my home town. That, unfortunately, saddens me a little and it shouldn’t. I have no reason in the world to be sad and that is why it is necessary for me to do a check on what I have accomplished, have had huge hurdles with, and how have evolved in that span of three hundred and sixty-five days.
Before we reflect on the past year though, I believe it to be extremely important to look at what we know for certain that the next year will bring. I know for a fact that I will be turning thirty-two next year and have to deal with whatever that means to me. I know that I have some really extraordinary people in my life getting married which include my close friend Beth and my cousin who has always been another sister to me.
In April I will be returning to Los Angeles in the hopes of making it to a point where I am able to live as a self employed person who can contribute the absolute most possible to society. That move also has the motive of making steps forward on the opportunity to live not only in Los Angeles, but in Madison, WI as well. In my adulthood, I truly know how difficult it is to not be near your family. Not just your biological family, but your entire family that you pick up along the way while traveling our journeys.
I also know that in 2012, there will be everything that I didn’t mention. It is equally important to acknowledge there is so much room for everything we don’t know will happen. Our journey is the meat and that meat is everything that is unexpected, not forethought and comes up in the details. Knowing that you haven’t planned everything and there is room for the unplanned is comforting. Find comfort in the year to come knowing that things will happen that we are not prepared for and that we will have the tools to handle it; whatever it may be. Acknowledging these future events can better help me think about this past year.
Today I got three remarkable things in the mail: A post card, a Christmas post card and a Christmas card. The significance of this mail is who sent them. I speak of inspiration often and this mail has brought me inspiration from how strong and amazing these people are who mailed them to me. In the last year, they have all went against some life-breaking obstacles and have came out better because of them. That is inspiring.
The post card came from Korea. One of my past employees from Starbucks made a decision on a whim when a friend invited her to come stay with his family in South Korea, nanny and teach English. With no preparation except the drive for new experiences and adventure, she said yes only having two months to make sure everything would be put in place in Los Angeles.
The Christmas post card came from one of my closest college friends and her family. The picture is her, her husband and their beautiful baby boy, Catcher. This last year she finished graduate school on the east coast, picked up everything with her new family and moved across the country saying good bye to the life they had built and some phenomenal human beings they had met while living in the north east.
The Christmas card that I received today was from a friend down south. She had a rollercoaster of a year that gave her some great steps forward revolutionizing an arts community that is already ahead of its time. She has taken a chance by putting herself out there for a man who is near the level of brilliance she is; all this happening in the midst of losing a job in a career path she had put her whole being into. This has not stopped her one bit, and has used it as an opportunity to create exactly what she wants for her life. Her journey is only ten times stronger because of this hiccup.
As I look at my year, I spend time looking at answers to the question why? Why did I give up my nice salaried job in Los Angeles? Why did I throw all of my money into the opportunity to travel and meet people throughout the country? And, why have I continued to take a chance on a media company that needed a lot more work than I could give to it this last year? Well I look at the events of this past year and find all of these answers and so much more.
I find the answers in the moment I was on top of the world, or just on the roof of a restaurant in Saint Petersburg, FL watching the sunset, listening to a man play music watching three older women dancing having the time of their lives. Again I find answers watching my friend Alyssa give her whole self while listening to painful story after painful story when we were in Tuscaloosa. Not blinking or turning away, just listening, reminding me of the importance of listening.
I remember my phone going absolutely crazy the morning I made the Today Show and everyone was facebooking, calling and texting me to tell me they saw me. Answers came from my surprising cab drive at seven in the morning in New Orleans, learning a valuable life lesson from a New Orleans resident for the entirety of his life. This twenty minute cab ride in search for beignets will forever be in my mind.
The moment I realized I was taking spiritual responsibility for my god daughter in Las Vegas and then later sitting with close friends discussing music from our past hits me with answers as does getting picked up at the Milwaukee airport in a snow thunderstorm in the middle of April by Melanie for her birthday. Later that week, I got the opportunity to experience a ride along with the keeper of the Kishwaukee Corridor in Rockford, IL.
I am not only given the answers but am reassured of the path I am on when I think about Dina and I doing our two year anniversary show in Los Angeles. Having created this experience with one my best friends is reason why all by itself. Reassurance is sitting on a stopped train for six hours on the way to New York because of tornadoes knocking over trees onto the tracks. This “delay” gave me the opportunity to have an in depth conversation with a mother of two just trying to get back home to Raleigh. I am further reassured by the spontaneity of life when a random trip to the only bar open in Beaumont, TX introduced four tired travelers to Rhonda, a drag queen who just needed to get out that night.
I remember sitting listening to Arlene Goldbard talk at the APASO conference in Austin and knowing I was exactly where I should be as well as when I met Jo in Tampa. Her story of traveling for so long on the sailboat, her journey with Yoga and running the Olympic torch is something of legends.
Whether it was sitting in the car on a trip to Las Vegas with a toddler, late night recordings on skype, waiting for Matt to get me at Penn Station, finding out the ins of the EPA and adventures of free D.C., getting a surprise travel companion to Baltimore, seeing behind the scenes of Cirque Du Soleil, wading through the beautiful and untouched by man Hurricane Creek, experiencing the demonstrations in St. Paul for gay marriage, or an afternoon impromptu photo shoot with a close friend, I have been given all of the answers to the questions why from this past year.
I am thankful for all of these moments and am eternally grateful for each one as well as everyone that was involved. I laugh at how some of these memories really were so time-sensitive and just worked out. Getting a moment with Holly literally minutes before she got on a flight to India, getting a lunch with Michael as he was driving from one show sight to the next and just sitting with Adam while he was home from Dubai.
The distance from the beginning of a year to the end of one is so short that we need to cherish and reflect on this distance so we can appreciate what has happened and what will come. The beginning of this year was sitting at Big Wangs in Hollywood as Dina and I watched our phones patiently for the launch of our online magazine. In the life movie in my head, that is a significant scene, as well as an impromptu country music concert with Dolly and April and my staff being so supportive just last night, as we had an event that did not produce the turn out I had expected. The pictures and moments with my staff make this year’s journey whole. I was supposed to have this experience back home with the group of people I had it with.
I could go on and on with moments and experiences from this last year, but that is not the only reason why this journey is significant. For me, even though it is a bit selfish, I was to get to know myself better. In observing and experiencing our country, I inevitably got a chance to view myself in a more clearly defined light. I needed to get to know me for who I am and get a better idea of how I am perceived from the outside. I needed to take some time and see if the view from the outside matches who I claim and think I am. All these experiences help to make that assessment on this gigantic integrity check.
As for the rest of the year, I will continue to look at the goals I have made and setting up a plan of action into getting those goals fulfilled. While finding comfort in the balance of who I want to be and who I am from the outside world, I need to still make sure I am being productive and moving forward. I additionally need to take time to recognize those who have supported and been inspirational to my past year. That is necessary as I move forward. Those people responsible for me getting this far need to know how impactful they have been because it is true, WE ARE ALL INVOLVED! This was not the journey of one person.
As the New Year approaches, I want to go further with the WE ARE ALL INVOLVED campaign by turning my resolutions into acts that include a larger amount of people than just me. I ask that if this inspires you, that you also involve others in your resolutions. Stray away from losing ten pounds and reading more and turn it into getting a walking group together who meets at lunch, or creating a youth reading program. This is the direction we need to be evolving; from me to we. To become stronger and healthier as a community, we have to be united and start watching out for one another. It is that level of social responsibility that will get our dreams accomplished as a whole entity and raise the level of brilliance even higher for our entire species. It is a simple statement that has become my mantra.
WE ARE ALL INVOLVED!
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Some news in the LGBT community
There have been some really amazing things lately that have been huge for the LGBT community. The latest was the speech that Hilary Clinton gave at the UN yesterday.
Here is the video and I took it from the article at towleroad.com.
The next is this great article from dot429.com. It is an article on Daniel Radcliffe's views on gay marraige and his amazing work with the Trevor Project.
Scott Fujita's video on how he supports Marraige Equality. As an NFL quarterback, it says a lot for him to stand up and support all marraige.
And now I'm just adding this because I don't know what to think of it. It isn't good that he throws the gay card in there but really, who else does he have to pick on?
Monday, November 21, 2011
Time to Stop and Reset
All the time, things need to be reset. Sometimes the best medicine for our computer is to just turn it off and let it sit for a moment. When we turn it back on, it is ready again for whatever we need it for. Our router needs the same thing, our cell phones, our cars, our outlets and so on. With a quick reset, our appliances and such are able to continue working without disruption. We are the exact same way.
One of the greatest luxuries of starting Project Kinect last winter was that I got the chance to meet my daily routines on my terms. There is no way to measure the magnitude of personal happiness when we are meeting deadlines, making appointments, and taking responsibility for ourselves and our own business. Well, unfortunately our own business doesn't always pay the bills and additional money making solutions are required. That is how I ended up here in Wisconsin for the winter, working at a restaurant that I love and for a woman that I admire, look up to and support completely. That does not disregard though how we all still get in routines that are not negotiated by ourselves.
I took off from the restaurant for the weekend to reset. For the past four days, I have had the opportunity again to run my life on my own schedule and it has been fantastic. Despite having a ton of responsibility at the restaurant, I am still in full force working on The Dina and Gregg Show(which we just left our radio station to launch Dign2it Radio), Dign2it Magazine, Project Kinect as well as a new nonprofit that I am helping out with in St. Paul. Those things are the big picture and it is necessary for us, as human beings, to repeatedly reset throughout our lives in order to keep a grasp on the big picture. It is a way to continually be centered to maximize our own productivity.
Think about the last time you reset? It could have been just a moment away from your children or the need to walk away from your staff for an hour. Maybe you needed to take a vacation and get out or you jumped in the car and drove for hours just to clear your head by processing everything. What ever it was, think if you need it again. We tend to reset when it is already too late. It's kind of like when we are so thirsty that we would do anything for a glass of water. Well, the water was really needed a while ago before it got to that desperate point. Our mental reset is completely like that.
Well, that is my thought for today. I must return to my to do list. Have a great day. Take a moment for yourself.
These videos really don't have anything to do with the post. I just came across them for the first time in a while and thought it would be great to post them.
One of the greatest luxuries of starting Project Kinect last winter was that I got the chance to meet my daily routines on my terms. There is no way to measure the magnitude of personal happiness when we are meeting deadlines, making appointments, and taking responsibility for ourselves and our own business. Well, unfortunately our own business doesn't always pay the bills and additional money making solutions are required. That is how I ended up here in Wisconsin for the winter, working at a restaurant that I love and for a woman that I admire, look up to and support completely. That does not disregard though how we all still get in routines that are not negotiated by ourselves.
I took off from the restaurant for the weekend to reset. For the past four days, I have had the opportunity again to run my life on my own schedule and it has been fantastic. Despite having a ton of responsibility at the restaurant, I am still in full force working on The Dina and Gregg Show(which we just left our radio station to launch Dign2it Radio), Dign2it Magazine, Project Kinect as well as a new nonprofit that I am helping out with in St. Paul. Those things are the big picture and it is necessary for us, as human beings, to repeatedly reset throughout our lives in order to keep a grasp on the big picture. It is a way to continually be centered to maximize our own productivity.
Think about the last time you reset? It could have been just a moment away from your children or the need to walk away from your staff for an hour. Maybe you needed to take a vacation and get out or you jumped in the car and drove for hours just to clear your head by processing everything. What ever it was, think if you need it again. We tend to reset when it is already too late. It's kind of like when we are so thirsty that we would do anything for a glass of water. Well, the water was really needed a while ago before it got to that desperate point. Our mental reset is completely like that.
Well, that is my thought for today. I must return to my to do list. Have a great day. Take a moment for yourself.
These videos really don't have anything to do with the post. I just came across them for the first time in a while and thought it would be great to post them.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Waiting with the Weight
Tonight at work I had an eye opening moment in the realm of my own insecurities. We were getting to the end of the night in the restaurant,(I'm in WI working at a restaurant right now if you don't know) and for some reason the two straight men, along with the female who was my closing server, got on the conversation of weight. I didn't think anything of this and when everyone was sharing. I quickly spouted out my my usual weight spectrum of 185 to 190. Knowing in my head that I haven't been eating the best, I figured it probably was around 195. Well, either way, I just let it fall off the shoulders and moved on with my life. The universe was not having that though.... Uh Uh Uhhhh! My closing server announced that she knew where a scale was down stairs and we all should check our weights right then and there.
Well that sounded the alarms. Me thinking about not eating the best turned into I'M WEARING HEAVY SHOES! IT'S THE END OF THE DAY! I SHOULD POOP FIRST! and every other possible "heavy" thought I could. Well it was about to get worse.
Two of them went and grabbed the scale and I sat there, and thought nothing of it, and then they getting adamant about me getting on it. This quickly went from a screaming in my head to an actual, "No, I will not get on that scale!!!" It wasn't about me not wanting them to know how much I weighed, it was about me not wanting to know how much I weighed. I have not thought that much about my weight since I left Los Angeles for my travels for Project Kinect. I have been conscious about what is going into my body and how much I am putting out as of exercise but haven't actually weighed myself.
Well this wasn't my most stoic moment and I ran away and hid from the guys while I quickly worked on closing duties and tried to forget my fit. While I was filling my time with tasks, I sat in the question of why did I have such a problem with this? Also, why am I so insecure with my weight? I am really, extremely insecure with my body and I have no clue where this stems from. I remember moments as a younger child at the pool thinking I was bigger. At one point I was husky, but never large. In high school I always felt that I was large but then I look back at pictures of me then and realize I was a skinny white boy. That is all.
Well now I am a gay man who lives in Los Angeles. How did I get to this point where I am so disgusted by my body? I'm not completely sure but I know that this needs to be specified and eliminated from my being. It is a major character flaw that because of this odd moment in my life, I realize that I add so much cause of other avenues of my whole being from this one small issue. That magnifies this insecurity by a million.
Needless to say, when everyone was gone, because of the monster of major insecurities, I stood on the scale to see a whopping 206 pounds. Now it's one in the morning and I am making a list of ways that I can get to a size my brain thinks I should be. That is the thing about deep seeded insecurities. It takes more than a plan to resolve it. It takes repetition, habit breaking, daily reminders that this insecurity is just that, an insecurity.
As for all of you with what ever you have that gets you screaming at friends over something absolutely childish, remember that you have to have your fit to move forward. Maybe then some resolution will come of it. Maybe not. I will just finish my bottle of Pinot Nior and try to not think about it..... Well at least until I wake up and look in the mirror. Good night beautiful people because we all are absolutely perfect and beautiful just the way we are!
Well that sounded the alarms. Me thinking about not eating the best turned into I'M WEARING HEAVY SHOES! IT'S THE END OF THE DAY! I SHOULD POOP FIRST! and every other possible "heavy" thought I could. Well it was about to get worse.
Two of them went and grabbed the scale and I sat there, and thought nothing of it, and then they getting adamant about me getting on it. This quickly went from a screaming in my head to an actual, "No, I will not get on that scale!!!" It wasn't about me not wanting them to know how much I weighed, it was about me not wanting to know how much I weighed. I have not thought that much about my weight since I left Los Angeles for my travels for Project Kinect. I have been conscious about what is going into my body and how much I am putting out as of exercise but haven't actually weighed myself.
Well this wasn't my most stoic moment and I ran away and hid from the guys while I quickly worked on closing duties and tried to forget my fit. While I was filling my time with tasks, I sat in the question of why did I have such a problem with this? Also, why am I so insecure with my weight? I am really, extremely insecure with my body and I have no clue where this stems from. I remember moments as a younger child at the pool thinking I was bigger. At one point I was husky, but never large. In high school I always felt that I was large but then I look back at pictures of me then and realize I was a skinny white boy. That is all.
Well now I am a gay man who lives in Los Angeles. How did I get to this point where I am so disgusted by my body? I'm not completely sure but I know that this needs to be specified and eliminated from my being. It is a major character flaw that because of this odd moment in my life, I realize that I add so much cause of other avenues of my whole being from this one small issue. That magnifies this insecurity by a million.
Needless to say, when everyone was gone, because of the monster of major insecurities, I stood on the scale to see a whopping 206 pounds. Now it's one in the morning and I am making a list of ways that I can get to a size my brain thinks I should be. That is the thing about deep seeded insecurities. It takes more than a plan to resolve it. It takes repetition, habit breaking, daily reminders that this insecurity is just that, an insecurity.
As for all of you with what ever you have that gets you screaming at friends over something absolutely childish, remember that you have to have your fit to move forward. Maybe then some resolution will come of it. Maybe not. I will just finish my bottle of Pinot Nior and try to not think about it..... Well at least until I wake up and look in the mirror. Good night beautiful people because we all are absolutely perfect and beautiful just the way we are!
Monday, November 14, 2011
Sundance Celebrating Those Girls Who Love Us Boys
The newest season of Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys officially airs on November 19th and it will be a great season. If you are not aware of this show, it is a reality show that follows four ladies and their gay best friends through the different drama and details to their lives. It is definitely showing all sides of these peoples lives and people who may never be exposed to these communities are getting a great example of how diverse we all are.
Fighting Women in Government
Just a reminder that there are still real people running for higher positions in government. I know we all know this, but it is great to acknowledge it when we see more of it. Here are two women who continue to make waves in our government that are helping our the majority of us.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Dealing with Integrity and Personal Truths
I’ve been thinking a lot about the truths that I know to be valid in my life. I know it sounds odd, but one of the only things that I can absolutely say I know for certain about getting older is that we start collecting a list of personal truths. This list doesn’t necessarily have to be true to other people, but they are true to one’s self. As I write this, I am enjoying one of my personal truths: That is, that I know when I need to be in a very melancholy yet inspired mood, all I need is a little Sade and a bottle of pinot nior. This has been this way for years and I know that about myself.
As I was going for an enjoyable autumn hike today, I started thinking about how life sometimes just isn’t the way we plan. I do feel that there is a great role for us all and sometimes we don’t take the most direct route of getting there but right now, I can’t figure out where my route is going. Before I get into this whole topic, I must ensure you that this is not a pity parade or some sort of self-inflicted guilt show; it is only to share what I have learned in this experience and hopefully gives a sense of security to someone else out there reading this.
Last January, I signed on to a great load of new work that would bring me into the next chapter of my life. It was December thirty-first and almost midnight and Dina and I were ferociously working on getting our first month’s edition of Dign2it Magazine. After that, we officially turned our Dign2it name into an LLC and started our media company. Much of these efforts are applauded to my friend and partner Dina. She took on such a burden by getting all of our paperwork set and filing all of the necessary papers to the proper offices. None the less, we got our company up and running.
At this same time, I was to set on my journey of Project Kinect. I put all of my belongings in storage, set a course to Las Vegas and then Austin, TX and then where ever from there. The purpose for my travels was to find out how people are connecting one-on-one and how these people, making up a plethora of different communities, are taking action to better them and their communities. This journey brought me all over the south and the east coast. I spent some time in Tampa and Saint Petersburg, Baltimore, New York, D.C., Connecticut, Rockford, Tuscaloosa, Minneapolis and many other significant places. I was on the Today Show, heard so many horrible sad stories and got the opportunity to hear stories of triumph. Despite the state of my current location, this journey is far from over.
While I was travelling, I was also working on helping our magazine grow and find ways to build our business. With me not in Los Angeles to help, it became almost a burden than a new opportunity on both Dina and I. We are still extremely motivated and moving forward, but the lack of day to day support grows heavy on our shoulders and success is taking a bit longer than we had hoped. Isn’t that how it always is though?
In all of this though, we celebrated her birthday in LA, we put on an amazing two year anniversary show of The Dina and Gregg Show and are expanding our media company into a great new venture. That is something to really celebrate as we go into our third year on air.
In June, all this greatness came to a halt. I was in Tuscaloosa, AL helping out with tornado clean up from the April twenty-fifth tornados that flattened much of the city and surrounding area. When I returned to Wisconsin to get centered, I realized that there was no more money in the center and I picked up an opportunity to make some money helping out a good friend at her new restaurant. Starting out as a summer gig to get back on my feet and continue with my journey on Project Kinect, it has now become a six month, rent a house and stick out the winter kind of set up. I love what I am doing and love that it is helping out the big picture of a friend’s dream but I can’t help to feel left out of my own life and in a huge space of idle back story that isn’t moving me forward.
So, I sit here in Wisconsin with a huge space in my heart and a huge lack of integrity. The space that is there is both positive and negative. It is a space that wasn’t there because my plans for the entire year were so set in stone. Now that I am here for these six months, I have space to work on some other things that would not have necessarily had the time to focus on them. Because of this new space, I have made a lofty list of goals that I will have accomplished by the time I leave. Some more personal and some are extremely business oriented to help all of my endeavors along.
This lack of integrity thing though is where I am having the major issues. I am not someone who just stops doing something and falls to the wayside on projects he sets out to accomplish so when I face the fact that I have stopped Project Kinect because I need to make money to go on, well that goes against what I said I would do if I got into this position. It goes against me saying that I would be out on the road for one entire year, nonstop, helping out and getting other people’s voices heard. I have failed at that goal.
I know, you are thinking “well, things happen. We all have to do what we have to do sometimes.” That is a help but I have so many beautiful loved ones who are supportive and tell me those same things. Well, I don’t need that right now. I need someone to hold me accountable to what I said I would do and say “Why the hell are you not doing it?” and tell me “Not good enough” when I answer them.
Unfortunately I don’t have anyone else to share this with right now because life is nonstop and the friends I can share with can’t understand and the friends that could understand have more pressing issues so that is why I am sharing it here, on my personal blog that doesn’t get read very often. It is out there and can be received by whomever, however, whenever.
I spent some time in Los Angeles working and partaking in the Landmark Education program. The most important thing that I took away from these great experiences is that once we admit that we have lost integrity, we can regain it by restating our intent and then continuing to do what we say in that intent. I have always felt that I have great integrity and that makes these feelings about what has happened in the last ten month even worse. However, with this knowledge, I can re-state my plan, and follow through with that new plan; always keeping in mind that the universe has it’s influence too.
Now that I am honest with myself, with my integrity and my plan in line, I go to the things that I have known to be absolutely true in my thirty years on this planet. We are always trying to know ourselves better, that is the bottom line. We do it in different ways like finding our soul mate, getting that perfect career, always finding a way to lead so people can be amazed by you and so on. Right now though, while I am getting through this rough part, I will go back to what I know are absolute truths in my life like Sade and red wine. It really can be that simple some times.
As I was going for an enjoyable autumn hike today, I started thinking about how life sometimes just isn’t the way we plan. I do feel that there is a great role for us all and sometimes we don’t take the most direct route of getting there but right now, I can’t figure out where my route is going. Before I get into this whole topic, I must ensure you that this is not a pity parade or some sort of self-inflicted guilt show; it is only to share what I have learned in this experience and hopefully gives a sense of security to someone else out there reading this.
Last January, I signed on to a great load of new work that would bring me into the next chapter of my life. It was December thirty-first and almost midnight and Dina and I were ferociously working on getting our first month’s edition of Dign2it Magazine. After that, we officially turned our Dign2it name into an LLC and started our media company. Much of these efforts are applauded to my friend and partner Dina. She took on such a burden by getting all of our paperwork set and filing all of the necessary papers to the proper offices. None the less, we got our company up and running.
At this same time, I was to set on my journey of Project Kinect. I put all of my belongings in storage, set a course to Las Vegas and then Austin, TX and then where ever from there. The purpose for my travels was to find out how people are connecting one-on-one and how these people, making up a plethora of different communities, are taking action to better them and their communities. This journey brought me all over the south and the east coast. I spent some time in Tampa and Saint Petersburg, Baltimore, New York, D.C., Connecticut, Rockford, Tuscaloosa, Minneapolis and many other significant places. I was on the Today Show, heard so many horrible sad stories and got the opportunity to hear stories of triumph. Despite the state of my current location, this journey is far from over.
While I was travelling, I was also working on helping our magazine grow and find ways to build our business. With me not in Los Angeles to help, it became almost a burden than a new opportunity on both Dina and I. We are still extremely motivated and moving forward, but the lack of day to day support grows heavy on our shoulders and success is taking a bit longer than we had hoped. Isn’t that how it always is though?
In all of this though, we celebrated her birthday in LA, we put on an amazing two year anniversary show of The Dina and Gregg Show and are expanding our media company into a great new venture. That is something to really celebrate as we go into our third year on air.
In June, all this greatness came to a halt. I was in Tuscaloosa, AL helping out with tornado clean up from the April twenty-fifth tornados that flattened much of the city and surrounding area. When I returned to Wisconsin to get centered, I realized that there was no more money in the center and I picked up an opportunity to make some money helping out a good friend at her new restaurant. Starting out as a summer gig to get back on my feet and continue with my journey on Project Kinect, it has now become a six month, rent a house and stick out the winter kind of set up. I love what I am doing and love that it is helping out the big picture of a friend’s dream but I can’t help to feel left out of my own life and in a huge space of idle back story that isn’t moving me forward.
So, I sit here in Wisconsin with a huge space in my heart and a huge lack of integrity. The space that is there is both positive and negative. It is a space that wasn’t there because my plans for the entire year were so set in stone. Now that I am here for these six months, I have space to work on some other things that would not have necessarily had the time to focus on them. Because of this new space, I have made a lofty list of goals that I will have accomplished by the time I leave. Some more personal and some are extremely business oriented to help all of my endeavors along.
This lack of integrity thing though is where I am having the major issues. I am not someone who just stops doing something and falls to the wayside on projects he sets out to accomplish so when I face the fact that I have stopped Project Kinect because I need to make money to go on, well that goes against what I said I would do if I got into this position. It goes against me saying that I would be out on the road for one entire year, nonstop, helping out and getting other people’s voices heard. I have failed at that goal.
I know, you are thinking “well, things happen. We all have to do what we have to do sometimes.” That is a help but I have so many beautiful loved ones who are supportive and tell me those same things. Well, I don’t need that right now. I need someone to hold me accountable to what I said I would do and say “Why the hell are you not doing it?” and tell me “Not good enough” when I answer them.
Unfortunately I don’t have anyone else to share this with right now because life is nonstop and the friends I can share with can’t understand and the friends that could understand have more pressing issues so that is why I am sharing it here, on my personal blog that doesn’t get read very often. It is out there and can be received by whomever, however, whenever.
I spent some time in Los Angeles working and partaking in the Landmark Education program. The most important thing that I took away from these great experiences is that once we admit that we have lost integrity, we can regain it by restating our intent and then continuing to do what we say in that intent. I have always felt that I have great integrity and that makes these feelings about what has happened in the last ten month even worse. However, with this knowledge, I can re-state my plan, and follow through with that new plan; always keeping in mind that the universe has it’s influence too.
Now that I am honest with myself, with my integrity and my plan in line, I go to the things that I have known to be absolutely true in my thirty years on this planet. We are always trying to know ourselves better, that is the bottom line. We do it in different ways like finding our soul mate, getting that perfect career, always finding a way to lead so people can be amazed by you and so on. Right now though, while I am getting through this rough part, I will go back to what I know are absolute truths in my life like Sade and red wine. It really can be that simple some times.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
No More Down Low
Once in a while I get to check out the online show, No More Down Low. Here is the episode from a few days ago that delt with the NAACP town hall meeting.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
So Much Happening
As I am getting ready to work today, I see so much that is happening and I need to share some of it. First and formost, the Dina and Gregg Show 2 Year Anniversary is this weekend.
So next, I would like to share a moment and remind that gay and lesbians began with their wedding vows yesterday in the state of New York. It may have taken a while, and it doesn't seem like a huge sucess because it is New York but still, it is New York. Congratulations to all the men and women who are gettting married. I am so excited for you.
Now, for this damn debt crisis and our quickly upcoming deadline. I feel that the best way to put it is through Jon Stewart right now because everything I am reading just continues to contradict itself. At least he is telling me this much.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Oh Michelle Bachmann
I just came across this while I was venturing around Youtube. Take from it what you will.
A Thursday in July
There was an article today on the Gay Politics Website today about how governor Jerry Brown has signed a bill that will now teach LGBT history in schools. This is groundbreaking on so many reasons other than just for LGBT rights. We continue to see how the truth in history continues to be omitted from the text books. Knowing that this will be taught, as well as women's rights, civil rights and so on, gives us a more accurate visualization of what our American History is. http://www.gaypolitics.com/2011/07/14/california-governor-signs-lgbt-history-bill/
Monday, June 27, 2011
New York Loves Us
This last Friday it went into full effect that gays and lesbians will be allowed to marry in the state of New York. I unfortunately still live in California but know it will eventually happen. I guess I would have to actually get into a committed relationship for that to even be useful. If you missed any of the coverage, here is a video from MSNBC.
In addition to this video, I want to add my new favorite Brittany video. I guess we'll just call it a gay day here at Took Potter.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
In addition to this video, I want to add my new favorite Brittany video. I guess we'll just call it a gay day here at Took Potter.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
First Day of Summer
Yesterday happened to be my favorite day of the year because it is the longest one. I am in Tuscaloosa for Project Kinect and for it, I spent the entire day in the creek helping to remove logs from it and get it cleaned up. Here is a quick video from that moment in my life.
As I was looking through the news this morning, I noticed that there was an article about the dismissal of a coming out video in Saugatuck, MI. Even though the city is extremely LGBT friendly, the school board voted to not let a video directed towards the eight grade class about what all teens, both gay and straight, need to know about coming out. Here is the article on Advocate.com.
When I went to Youtube to find the video and share with you, I was unsuccessful, but I did however find this video from Meet Zoe. She is from Australia and moved to Los Angeles as many of us do to get into show business. I haven't done any research about her yet, but I love this so far.
Being in Tuscaloosa for awhile, I've noticed the practically imaginary line between church and state. I realize that practically the entire country is to this point now, but down here, the two cross lines more than people say "Ya'll".
I decided to do a little research to see what is happening on these lines since the Bush administration put the "faith-based initiative" into play. The purpose of this initiative was to help faith based organizations expand the social services they did in their communities. Here is the article I found explaining President Obama's view on this from ABC News.
As I was looking through the news this morning, I noticed that there was an article about the dismissal of a coming out video in Saugatuck, MI. Even though the city is extremely LGBT friendly, the school board voted to not let a video directed towards the eight grade class about what all teens, both gay and straight, need to know about coming out. Here is the article on Advocate.com.
When I went to Youtube to find the video and share with you, I was unsuccessful, but I did however find this video from Meet Zoe. She is from Australia and moved to Los Angeles as many of us do to get into show business. I haven't done any research about her yet, but I love this so far.
Being in Tuscaloosa for awhile, I've noticed the practically imaginary line between church and state. I realize that practically the entire country is to this point now, but down here, the two cross lines more than people say "Ya'll".
I decided to do a little research to see what is happening on these lines since the Bush administration put the "faith-based initiative" into play. The purpose of this initiative was to help faith based organizations expand the social services they did in their communities. Here is the article I found explaining President Obama's view on this from ABC News.
Monday, May 16, 2011
So it's May Already
I have been the worst blogger on my own blog that could ever be. I while I am on Project Kinect, I am adding Took Potter into my daily routine. Until then though, here is the latest video from The Dina and Gregg Show.
Friday, February 11, 2011
A Love Story
At the beginning of the book Eat, Pray, Love, the author mentions her friend who was working with refugees and even though they had been through so much turmoil and life changing events, they still managed to go back to the topics of "I met this guy" or "I can't tell if likes me or not". What is that?
I, who happen to be on the threshold of starting the largest project of my life, still managed to fall into this trap. No matter who we are, where we are, and what is happening in our life, the need and want for love still becomes toward the top of the priority list. It amazes me. Here's my story. Well, the most recent one.
About 2 weeks ago, I was at one of Dina's stand up shows and afterward, her and I were talking with the producer of the show, as well as her friend. Needless to say, him and I hit it off and planned to meet up soon. We did, had a great date and continued it with great correspondence that was leading somewhere. That somewhere, very clearly being stated as getting to know each other because I would be traveling for a year. Not a secret, understanding that there was just not a lot of time for much other than some heat and getting to know each other.
Well, it turned into a little more pressure I guess because I got a text that we should not sweat it and just focus on the friendship part. That is great. It truly is but unfortunately I still liked him and of course was hoping it would venture somewhere further. I can't help it because I am a pathetic romantic. The bottom line is that I met a great guy and I get to become his friend. There is not a thing wrong with that. Not to mention I got some great make-out time with him. But, for those of you who still want to hear some jaded girl music, here you go.
When I mentioned that I am leaving in two weeks, I was talking about a project that I started about three months ago. It's called Project Kinect(http://projectkinect.com/). It is going to take me across the country for an entire year. I'm at the moment, in a state of shock and not really quite sure that it is coming together but in all actuality, it really is. I am so shocked. Here are a couple of the videos that I have for it so far. Check out the website and let me know what you think.
I, who happen to be on the threshold of starting the largest project of my life, still managed to fall into this trap. No matter who we are, where we are, and what is happening in our life, the need and want for love still becomes toward the top of the priority list. It amazes me. Here's my story. Well, the most recent one.
About 2 weeks ago, I was at one of Dina's stand up shows and afterward, her and I were talking with the producer of the show, as well as her friend. Needless to say, him and I hit it off and planned to meet up soon. We did, had a great date and continued it with great correspondence that was leading somewhere. That somewhere, very clearly being stated as getting to know each other because I would be traveling for a year. Not a secret, understanding that there was just not a lot of time for much other than some heat and getting to know each other.
Well, it turned into a little more pressure I guess because I got a text that we should not sweat it and just focus on the friendship part. That is great. It truly is but unfortunately I still liked him and of course was hoping it would venture somewhere further. I can't help it because I am a pathetic romantic. The bottom line is that I met a great guy and I get to become his friend. There is not a thing wrong with that. Not to mention I got some great make-out time with him. But, for those of you who still want to hear some jaded girl music, here you go.
When I mentioned that I am leaving in two weeks, I was talking about a project that I started about three months ago. It's called Project Kinect(http://projectkinect.com/). It is going to take me across the country for an entire year. I'm at the moment, in a state of shock and not really quite sure that it is coming together but in all actuality, it really is. I am so shocked. Here are a couple of the videos that I have for it so far. Check out the website and let me know what you think.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Happy New Year
As it is now January fourth, and it has been more than two weeks since I have posted a thing, I think that is about time for me to do so. I began the year without my computer so there is my excuse. Really though, I've never put too much emphasis on how I begin my year but this year is turning out to be something already and I believe that it has something to do with how it began.
Dina and I just launched an online magazine called DiG N 2 It. and the website for is is DiGN2it.com. We were working on it diligently all evening on New Years Eve and then went to get a drink. The first place we went to was full and then found ourselves at this bar called Big Wangs. A big college type bar in the middle of Hollywood. Well, we bellied up to the bar, ordered a round, which turned out to be the cheapest round I've ever paid for in Los Angeles, and played the trivia game. We then celebrated our magazine at midnight, kept on drinking, and then moved to a close by gay bar where we proceeded to meet every person in the bar. It was an amazing New Years Arrival and one of the best I have ever had. Now, four days later, I am still living on top of the world knowing how great 2011 will be.
Happy New Years to Everyone!!!
Dina and I just launched an online magazine called DiG N 2 It. and the website for is is DiGN2it.com. We were working on it diligently all evening on New Years Eve and then went to get a drink. The first place we went to was full and then found ourselves at this bar called Big Wangs. A big college type bar in the middle of Hollywood. Well, we bellied up to the bar, ordered a round, which turned out to be the cheapest round I've ever paid for in Los Angeles, and played the trivia game. We then celebrated our magazine at midnight, kept on drinking, and then moved to a close by gay bar where we proceeded to meet every person in the bar. It was an amazing New Years Arrival and one of the best I have ever had. Now, four days later, I am still living on top of the world knowing how great 2011 will be.
Happy New Years to Everyone!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)