Mayans, Shmayans

So I was reading this message board earlier in which the casual question was asked, “If science suddenly proved 100% for sure that the Mayans were right and the world’s going to end in December…what would you do today?” A fair and fun question, and once you — meaning, I — stop looking at it critically (the utter and complete breakdown of global society, etc.) the end purpose is, of course, to see what your priorities really are or ought to be.

The thing is, and I mentioned this in PARTY, you can’t functionally live each day like it was your last. You can’t. Or, you could, but you’d end up broke, in prison, and/or dead very quickly. I, for one, would immediately resume unhealthy habits that I fought for years to get rid of, and it’s only because I choose to assume and hope I’ll be around long enough to enjoy the long term benefits of having quit.

But what you can do is assess what you really want outta this gig. When I go to schools and tell students they can do anything, there are realities to contend with, sure. If the entire room wants to be NFL quarterbacks, well…that’s probably not gonna happen. True enough.

My argument is this: If you relentlessly pursue that goal, you will find other opportunities opening up that may make you even happier, and certainly no less happy, than if you’d gotten the big dream.

I always wanted to be a movie star (who doesn’t?). Some of my theatre friends and I always just assumed that’s where life would take us. Well, it didn’t.  (Thank goodness.) But I spent 11 years having a great time doing shows with my own theatre company. I had three great years of music and theatre and art at Chyro Arts Venue. I wouldn’t trade those for anything. I even got to make some very fun and very low budget movies with my best friends. Totally worth it. [That link is NSFW; language!]

So maybe you won’t be an NFL quarterback. But have you ever considered how many jobs are associated with just one NFL broadcast game? All the TV positions, all the on-field positions, all the behind-the-scenes positions? Going after that first goal will, I promise you, reveal and open doors you hadn’t even thought of.

You can’t live every day like it was your last. You gotta pay the bills. You have to hope and plan for tomorrow. But for crying out loud, don’t use that as an excuse to give up and just watch TV all night. Whatever it is out there that you want to do, go do it, and don’t let anyone stop you.

In other news:

ZERO comes out April 24! There will be a big release party at Changing Hands, so please come! And please get your copy that day or week from a brick and mortar store. It’ll help me and it’ll help them and, I daresay, ultimately it will help you. Bookstores and libraries are among those thing you might not realize how much are missed until it’s too late.

Speaking of Changing Hands, don’t miss this year’s Yallapalooza at the downtown Phoenix library. Classes and authors and signings and food and…just be there, it’s going to be sweet!

Take care,

~ Tom