Joining the Circus

I spent the day with a long time friend (see: Mountain of Fear) who has been in the film business for over 20 years. We went to the set of a series she is working on that has not aired yet. I had never been to a set like it so it was very interesting and fun for me. I was like a wide eyed kid asking her lots of questions. The rooms had moveable plywood walls. The views outside the fictitious downtown office windows were tall skins of photographs of buildings just a few inches think. They were either for day or night up to 30' tall. It was a completely fabricated reality and a really good one. It was like we were standing in an office on the 35th floor somewhere. There were desks with personal pictures of kids and vacations. I saw hand written notes on notepads, along with plastic non functioning keyboards and computer screens. There was a brushed steel elevator door and I almost forgot there was only one floor. The sets were pretty perfect down to the last details. To us, watching at home we wouldn't give it a second thought. It all looked very real, a pretend world they bring alive. On the other side of the "rooms", there were cable cords for electricity and tall scaffolding stashed behind the pseudo walls. There were big fans and many huge lights on 20' stands. I could imagine some director Shout "ACTION!" in my head.

It was a Sunday, and since they were not shooting, only a couple of people were there. My friend was meeting a man dropping off some newly upholstered office chairs. As we were rolling them  in, the lead man said to me "Oh so she brought you here to work?" I laughed and told him, "If I ever want to see her again, I have to come to work with her!"  My friend has been working 6 days a week 14 hour days for several months. I was fascinated by the sets as I walked around in amazement. She smiled and told me, "Being in the film business is just like joining the circus." Sometimes she travels and leaves town for months to work on a film out of state. Each job is a microcosm of another world, an alternate reality. I know it's sometimes grueling hard work and requires intense teamwork. She always has a deadline and is working against the clock to stay ahead of the next scene. Some of the things she has to come up with in a day baffle my mind. She may need 5 antique pinball machines or 30 airplane seats or 6 turnstyles or 100 oil barrels. She's good at what she does that's why she's in such demand. It's the entertainment business. It's full of mystery and intrigue, with a tight knit select group working behind the scenes to make it all happen. It's like using smoke and mirrors. They pull it all together and make magic as they weave each story line together. 

Just like a circus, it's on with the show! I look forward to seeing this one on my screen at home.

Follow Your Star

I had dinner last night with a dear friend who has a beautiful voice. Like many of us, she had put her dream on the back burner and let it slowly fade away. Marriage, career and the hurried pace we all keep got in her way. It so happens she's been divorced for several years, she's in love and as life would have it, she's currently between jobs.

We met a couple of years ago and when I heard about her dream to sing, I began to ask her, and encourage her and later even downright pester her, not only to pursue her dream of a singing career, but to take voice lessons. I was excited when she recently texted me about her first voice lesson. I learned last night, she is continuing with voice lessons and is putting together songs for a CD. She paid me the biggest compliment when she told me no one had ever encouraged her to take voice lessons. She said without me "nudging her" she probably would not have done it.

I've learned we just need someone in our corner, spurring us on, to go ahead and Follow Our Star. It helps to have someone who not only believes we can do it, but also wants it for us. I am so proud of her. When she told me with a big smile on her face, "I was meant to sing!" I got chills! It's her heart's desire. It's never too late to start living your dream and there's no time like now. Whatever it is, begin today to find and Follow Your Star!

Hold Your Space and Hold on to Your Dream.