WHO IS YOUR TRIBE ?

I’m Back, well I never left, I was busy, I had a handful of jobs to sort through that held my attention.? I admit, I also, to a degree, felt like I needed to sort out my thoughts.? My last post, while inspired and written in a flurry of energy, passion and fever pitch, left even me thunderstruck…I may soon enough write of the event(s) that led me to pondering: the ‘I might just quit moment’.? But for now, I feel I still need to inspire and share. ?

I have a handful of new topics to write about all of which could have sent me down many a rabbit hole, I refrained, I swept my ‘negative’ thoughts aside, I stayed nonreactive and instead decided to count my blessings, which, by the way, were very blurred by the as aforementioned thunderstruckedness, yes that’s a word.?

I oft wonder, ‘When do you hit the KCUF IT switch?’ That time when you throw all caution to the wind and make more deliberate decisions and intentions, more like you would if you weren’t concerned about burning bridges, acting too rash or being labeled, you know, pushy or overambitious. While it may work for some unscathed, there is the rest of us, who have to navigate the pitfalls and mistakes like a rookie. Realistically if that isn’t who you are at the core, the pushy brash type, then crossing over into that psyche can run the gamut of elation to oh shit, what did I do!?? But sometimes that reactionary outburst can have a desirable outcome. In case you were wondering, that moment landed me a meeting, what will come of that meeting aside from therapy is TBD.? Take these steps on your own, Ideally we could be ourselves to strangers and be forthcoming with the inner voice. The edited inner voice that is, not all inside voices should be shared. ?

Nobody Owes You Nothin!’ A buddy of mine tossed this statement out in a conversation regarding the state of the film biz, but all I kept hearing in my head was Jackson Browne’s ‘Boulevard’.?

Nobody owes you nothin' (Nobody, nobody)

Nobody shows you what they're thinking (Nobody, nobody)

Nobody

I kid you not, I did not read through the lyrics prior to writing the previous paragraph, did I mention I love serendipity?? And there you have it, just as the cavalry isn’t coming, ‘nobody owes you nothin’ is a concept to embrace.? While they can both seem daunting, downright negative, they can also be freeing, an acceptance if you will and a reminder, to get back in the ring. I reckon them to speed bumps and road blocks.? This is a journey after all and on any road trip minor hazards, heck, major hazards should not stand in your way.? After all as Tom Petty belted out, ‘Running down a dream that never would come to me’.? That song was released the summer I packed my bags and drove from New Jersey to LA, with nothing more than a dream and a friends couch as a promise.? I long for those days of naivete’ but more so, the tone of freedom in the air. You can feel it and see it, can’t you? It’s that classic shot, driving down the road, hand out the window flowing with the wind.? Can that be captured again, can that be realized?? I hope so, I mean I still feel it! Maybe I am delusional after all?? I hope my cohorts feel it, I’d be thrilled to hear about it.

Lastly, and if you can’t tell, I am slogging through this current newsletter, I am searching for answers, mostly in my head, like playing chess against myself and wanting ME to win. Like a thoroughbred in my corral, knowing I want to get out and prove my worth, but unsure of the track I am racing.? Gosh you’d think I’d know by now, but with the ever changing landscape, it’s challenging to know which shoes to put on.? Was that enough metaphors for you?? So anyway…

Who is your tribe??

Another question posed by a fellow screenwriter.? Which leaves me dwelling… that is a damn good question! Because yes I have my posse, by this definition: a group of people who have a common characteristic or occupation, but a tribe in my assessment are those who can elevate you, while your posse is the group you hold court with, the folks, who have your back and you’re all on the same playing field with. A tribe ideally would be ‘next level shit’, as the cool kids say, a collection of professionals who have the ability to raise the stakes with you and for you, offer a hand, offer advice, offer guidance.? I wish I could say, I knew the slightest way of gathering a tribe, but I don’t. I only know that putting my best work and moral character forward could have gains.? If you haven’t noticed I am struggling with this one. It’s that process of being hopeful, that someone takes notice, if nothing else, just because.

But in the end, it’s recognizing the absence of the Cavalry and Nobody owing you anything. And with that I end where Jackson Browne started off:

Down on the boulevard they take it hard

They look at life with such disregard

They say it can’t be won

The way the game is run

But if you choose to stay

You wind up playing anyway

It's okay.

Yeah Jackson, ? IT IS GOING TO BE OKAY!