Always Room for Improvement — What I Hope to Achieve in 2024

Hello, dear readers. First off, I do sincerely apologize for the lack of blog articles this year; over the course of 2023 I’ve been sidetracked by work, leisure time, spending time with the folks, or other hobbies that have been catching my attention. But now it’s better late than never, right? Without further ado, I would like to share some of my hopes and intentions for what I have mind for the New Year, in 2024.

First of all, I want to reach out to some of my closest relatives and friends more often. For one thing, I’m not the greatest conversation starter, and for another I’m often extremely hesitant to call or text anyone at any particular time. The reason for this is I never know what people are up to at the time, for fear that I would be interrupting whatever they’re doing. Next year, however, I’ll try as hard as I can to find appropriate moments to call or text somebody and ask them about their day, share anything interesting with them, plan outings together, etc. If there’s one thing that’s becoming more and more clear to me in recent times, it’s the idea that communication is key.

Second, I hope to make my schedules a little more consistent. I did recently acquire a weekly planner to use for the New Year, so I’m sure it will most certainly come in handy for what I intend to do every day. This will most likely help me keep track of managing my work days, laying out what I intend to do in my spare time (reading, watching movies or TV shows, or contacting people as mentioned above). I’m hoping to balance out my plans as well as possible in the year ahead, and this new weekly planner is sure to keep me afloat. And of course, I’ll try to make a few more articles here on my blog — stories, book/film/play reviews, or whatever. (If you have any ideas for something you want me to review, do let me know in the comments.)

Third, I am hoping to increase the number of books I read over the course of the year. During the past three years I have become a more and more avid reader, reading multiple books every single day, all in different genres — mostly fiction. In 2021, I went up to eleven books, in 2022, I got up to thirteen, and this year I have managed to make it to fourteen. Once again I’m open to any suggestions — if you have any, I’ll be happy to take them. I’ll balance between that and making my own choices; I do tend to fluctuate every now and then.

Fourth, I sincerely hope to return to performing in live theater. For four years now I have been away from theater partly because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and also I’m trying to find the right time and the right place to get my act back together again. To this day, my goal of becoming a professional actor hasn’t changed a bit, and I’m sure it will remain intact. Part of me hopes to do a comedy, which is a genre I’ve studied in my acting classes and something I’ve been itching to be a part of. For my next play(s) that I might potentially perform in next year, I’m eager for more people in my family and friends crowd who have yet to see me in action, and then they’ll finally get their due. Perhaps one of my little cousins, who will be five next year, might be old enough to see my next show, as long as it’s age-appropriate and something she can sit through.

Fifth, I really, REALLY hope to find a significant other. As a man of 32 years of age, I remain a bachelor to this day, and as much as I enjoy being single at times, I do also think it would be a breath of fresh air to find a suitable woman who is not only an honest and genuinely good person, but also a Proverbs 31 woman… in other words, a woman who “fears the Lord and is worthy of praise”. (I have written an entire article about this previously, which you can check out.) Maybe in a few years down the road, if I have indeed found the right woman, we’ll share a life together and have children, and make the best we can, as long as put our Maker first.

I suppose this is all I have to share with you folks on what I wish to accomplish in the year of 2024. No year is perfect, no life is perfect, nobody is perfect, but I’m highly certain that we can all make a little room for improvement for the year ahead. After all, people change all their lives whether for good or ill, and here’s to making this new year as good of a year as we possibly can. Thanks for tuning in, my dear readers, and have a blessed New Year.

Which Weird National Holiday Falls on Your Birthday?: Part II — The Theater Friends Edition

In one of my previous articles, I started a series covering which national holidays fall on people’s birthdays, and I began with the people I went to school with. Now as I mentioned at the end of said article, I have chosen to cover my friends from the world of performing arts next.

Once again this is based in large part on my research from Buzzfeed, which has all the answers to some of the strangest and most creative observances to be held on the anniversaries of the days we were born. Incidentally, I came across that page shortly before I met my theater friends for the first time — of course, I’ve only known these people for a few years, and I implore you that if you’re shocked by the results, don’t shoot the messenger! But in any case, I’ll try my best to share what you folks get on your special days, and I suppose you might be in for a good chuckle. To my knowledge, I recollect most of my theater friends’ birthdays, whether I learned from them in person or I got them from Facebook — this is what I have memorized at the back of my head. Just like last time, each of these will be presented in order of birth month, and here is the list as follows.

JANUARY

Aaron Mermelstein – January 7th

National Tempura Day – Well, well, well — there ain’t nothing to start this out like Japanese food, eh? I’m uncertain of what he think of this, but if it’s possible that he does enjoy it, he has one heck of a taste. Um….

Richard Niemann – January 27th

National Chocolate Cake Day – This one’s much more like it! I wouldn’t be surprised if he liked chocolate cake. If I see him on his next birthday, I’d be happy to present him a freshly baked cake straight from the oven.

Bridget Caldwell – January 31st

International Backwards Day – Sounds to me like the equivalent of Opposite Day. Since I’ve seen her dance, I wonder if she could try performing an entire ballet backwards. As long as she does it right, she’s in good hands.

FEBRUARY

Payton Gilliam – February 18th

National Drink Wine Day – Again with food and drinks! I can assume that she drinks wine from time to time, and since I’m aware she got married a short while ago, that beverage would most likely have been present.

MARCH

Caitlin Souers – March 22nd

International Goof Off Day – Who doesn’t love goofing off once in a while? I can fancy this is a habit of hers, all in good nature.

APRIL

Scott Patrick Caldwell – April 13th

National Scrabble Day – More fun and games! If we do another show together in the foreseeable future, this is something we could do in our free time during rehearsals. To be honest, he deserves to win more than I do.

MAY

Melanie Klug – May 11th

National Eat All You Want Day – Here we go again! Provided she maintains a steady diet, I wish her well in eating to her heart’s content in one day… as well as avoiding getting too stuffed.

Peter Barron – May 24th

Brother’s Day – He’s never told me if he has any siblings, let along brothers, but if he does he can spend an entire birthday celebrating with his bro(s). Partying in true frat-boy style. (Just kidding!)

JUNE

Carrie Antoine – June 4th

National Hug Your Cat Day – All right, pets are coming into play here! Can’t tell if she has any cats, but she seems like the kind of person who would warmly embrace felines at any given moment, notably on her own birthday. A kindhearted cat lover, you might say.

JULY

Tyler Woods – July 3rd

National Compliment Your Mirror Day – For a good-looking chap like he is, it’s easy to imagine him showering his mirror with high praise, with a warm friendly smile and keeping it fresh and clean. Jolly good stuff!

Alex Alderson – July 14th

National Mac and Cheese Day – Hubba hubba! A meal I’ve enjoyed since I was a kid, and he gets this for a birthday observance. Especially if it’s cooked in a pot, this could be his next meal for a birthday celebration. Mmm….

David Bornholdt and David DeRose – July 16th

Guinea Pig Appreciation Day – Here’s something I never thought of before, especially with these two chaps! They haven’t mentioned too much about animals to me in the past (although I’m aware the former once had a dog), but when it comes to guinea pigs, they could leave room for some appreciation for these rodents of minimum size.

Denise Mandle – July 28th

National Chocolate Milk Day – Oh, chocolate is back on the scene! I can imagine her just lounging about with a glass of chocolate milk in hand, on a hot summer’s day. Fairly appropriate enough.

William Beller – July 31st

Uncommon Musical Instrument Awareness Day – We get something particularly unique here, folks! The closest that comes to mind nowadays is the accordion, and if he has any special skill in this, he’d make a grand master of this instrument.

AUGUST

None of note.

SEPTEMBER

Jenn Ciavarella – September 1st

National Letter Writing Day – A lost art makes the cut, eh? I can assume she has written letters a few times in years past, and perchance she can revive this fading form of communication. Forget E-mail and texting for a second, let’s go the old-fashioned way!

Kaitlyn Chotrow – September 6th

National Fight Procrastination Day – It’s hard to imagine her as the fighting type, except for maybe her fiance. But as far as any actual fights go, we’ll get more into that later.

Jack Connors – September 25th

National Binge Day – Well, he is retired, so it’s not hard to picture him binge-watching a full TV series in just a matter of days. As a matter of fact, I’d be happy to join him — as long as it’s a decent enough show to keep me hooked.

OCTOBER

None of note.

NOVEMBER

Jill Houghton – November 1st

National Cook For Your Pets Day – At last, we get an easy one for once! She does indeed have pets, and I can totally envision her making exquisite meals for them on special occasions — providing them with the royalties they deserve.

DECEMBER

Gwynneth Rausch – December 21st

National Don’t Make Your Bed Day – Unheard-of! I’ve been to her home at least once, and she seems to be much more organized than that. Although it’s possible that she could do just one time, without any scruples whatsoever.

Betsy Gasoske – December 23rd

Festivus – Here’s our grand finale! And what a way to end this list — regarding it’s shortly before Christmas and New Year’s, and… guess what? Her anniversary with her boyfriend who we mentioned earlier. Sure doesn’t get much better than this!

Thus the list ends here. I suppose this sounded fun, with some of the results being a lot weirder and more interesting than others, and these belong to the birthdays of some of the coolest people I’ve ever met. Truth be told, these observances on their special days only makes my theater buddies cooler! The saying “You learn something new every day” could never be truer than what we just listed here in this article.

With this installment being wrapped up, I shall announce that for the third and final part of this trilogy, I will switch my focus to family and friends I’ve been acquainted with for some time. I really do hope that will be a satisfying conclusion to the series, we’ll wait and see! Until then, au revoir!

P.S.: My own day of birth is July 22nd, which is National Hammock Day. I could lay on a hammock any and every day. Bring it!

Best Cousins Forever, 30 Years Later

For many of us people, there is that one person who you have known for most or all of your life, and leaves a lasting impression on you in so many ways, and will stick with you for life. To me, one such person is my cousin, Jenna Danielle Sims (formerly Allard), who was born on this day thirty years ago. This young lady is one I am very glad to call more than just a cousin — she is so much more.

Of course I have known her for almost my entire life, and from what I recall our relationship started off by hanging out with each other in a number of ways, such as hanging out at our grandparents’ house all the time, watching television and films, playing in her sandbox, and so on. Admittedly, we did have a bit of a rocky road as slightly older kids, bickering and hurting each other for absolutely no good reason at all. Even so, she would always tell me “I love you”, and eventually we would toss our quarrels out of the window and become not just cousins, but also very close friends. I mean, extremely close.

As a matter of fact, I can openly make it clear that Jenna is the closest I have to a best friend. By that, I mean it. Like I just noted, we’ve known each other practically forever, we know each other exceedingly well, we have this extremely close bond together, and in recent years, I feel that she and I have more than common than we thought. We share some of the same traits, similar habits, we both have names that begin with “J” and end with “A” (interestingly enough), just to name a few things — why, it gets to the point that we can be called counterparts. She is my A-1 since Day 1, simply put.

Jenna and I have been through a great deal together over the course of thirty years, which is really saying something. We have played together, attended school and church, bonded with each other over and over, and I think it’s safe to say she has taught me more than I have taught her. Even while she is nearly nine months my junior, she has this almost big-sister instinct, like she has taught me to be a more positive person, proved to me time and again that I really do have a sense of humor (even when I refused to admit it), and she has also been there to keep me out of trouble. So in that case, she is like a guide mentor to me. In turn, I also try my hardest to stand up for her in the most difficult times. I strive to support in every way she supports me, which is just how a good relationship like this should work.

Furthermore, Jenna is one of very few people I can feel completely at home with, one I can actually feel comfortable being around with, and one who I can to talk to about absolutely anything. She is also one of the few people I have no problem with making her smile or laugh at anything I say or do, since a good conversation without this wouldn’t be complete. In fact, one of Jenna’s most distinguishing traits is smiling and laughing at virtually every small thing imaginable, thus cementing her extremely positive outlook on life. Even on the roughest of days, she is there to lift anyone’s spirits, provide us with some of the most helpful counseling ever, and give some of the most comfortable hugs ever. It’s always a good feeling to feel warm and fuzzy, and Jenna does well making me feel exactly that, along with words of reassurance. Truth be told, she’s great at making people feel great, and I’m no exception.

Another thing to really admire about Jenna is the fact that she sees a bright future ahead of me — she’s totally supportive of me pursuing a career on stage, and I’m sure she’ll always leave kind words on my performances, and looks forward to see me continuing to live the dream. What’s more, I’m just as supportive of her pursuing a successful career of serving the community by helping victims and giving back to people in need. She really does care about the safety, health and awareness of her fellow man, one of the qualities that make a good human being.

Lastly, what really makes Jenna stand out is that she is always here for you. She has a selfless and loving heart, she is there cheer me on, she cares for my well-being, and for the last thirty years she has always stuck by my side. That, to me, is her strongest trait, in addition to being THE absolute nicest person I have ever met. And that is why I consider her to be my closest companion.

Thank you, Jenna, for being my kind and loving cousin. Thank you for being my built-in best friend. Thank you for being another sister figure to me. Thank you for teaching me to be a more positive individual. Thank you for telling me I have a sense of humor. Thank you for supporting my dream in life. Thank you for understanding me like no one else can. Thank you for being my A-1 Day 1. Most of all, thank you for always being there for me. Happy birthday of thirty years, Jenna. Here’s to many more years of friendship.

With love from your oldest cousin, Joshua Anthony Teoli, aka “Wa-Wa”.

New Age, New Decade, New Part of Life

Today I, Joshua Anthony Teoli, am thirty years old. This is an age I have been looking forward to for a very long time. If you’re wondering why, I can simply say that it’s due to the fact that a vast majority of the adults I have known in my life have been that age, and I have often longed to get there. And today I finally have. What’s more, I’m always excited about living a new year of life, and thanks be to God for blessing me with it.

For the most part, the twenties have been quite an experience in my lifetime, and it was at that point when I was finally ready to share my potential with everybody I met. Since an early age I have expressed a yen in pursuing a career in performing arts, and it wasn’t until the end of age 22 when I finally let my guard down and revealed my intentions to family and friends and other acquaintances. Then it was decided in order to make this dream happen, I would have to return to school to get a good grasp of how this process really works; it turns out that the education I have received over the last few years has been much, much more than I expected. Now I have a better understanding of what showbiz is really like, and as cliche as this may sound, there really is no business like it.

In the meantime, during the course of the last decade I have worked in two different outdoor jobs and nowadays, to make ends meet, I resume a position in my father’s landscaping business with most of my work taking place at home and at certain relatives’ house nearby. At this point I’m hoping that at some point in my 30s, I will finally decide to move into my end goal which is to take up performing professionally. As rewarding as payment may sound and perhaps even being part of an actors’ union, the main thing I’m in for is to do it for the art and even more importantly, to keep people entertained. Let’s face it, it’s a crazy world we all live in. No matter what happens to folks in their lives, I want them to know that I’m here to help them escape from unpleasant realities and divert them for as long as possible on a stage right before them, and I hope to ensure these people they have a good time.

At this point in my life, a vast majority of the people around my age or even a few years younger tend to freak out that they’re getting “old” by the time they hit thirty. But from a practical perspective, thirty is definitely anything but old. Why, at the age of thirty, you still have a whole life ahead of you and there’s no need to rush life. As I mentioned before, this is an age I’ve often looked forward to, and I honestly still feel like a fairly young man, which is what I am indeed. So I suggest we all take a deep breath and appreciate the fact that old age is still quite a long ways to go yet, we mustn’t panic. As long as we’re healthy and making the best of things, we should all be in good hands. We still have lots of living to do.

In conclusion, I am very thrilled to be a whole new age and I finally get to be the age that so many folks I have known personally have experienced before I have. I am still breathing and healthy. I have a great family, both immediate and extended. I have many wonderful friends from all different places. I have many supporters, which I’m eternally grateful for. I still manage to live life to the max, and again praise be to the Lord on high for blessing me with it. I am always willing to learn something new every day, and I try to be as humble as possible when I get ahold of something I have never known before. As a certain saying goes, “No man is a failure who has friends.” These words have stuck with me for as long as I can remember, and I’m sure they will continue to stay for as long as I live.

In short, my life is a gift from God. Every day is a gift.

Ultimately, thirty feels great and I’m glad to finally be thirty. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day.

Which Weird National Day Falls on Your Birthday?: Part I — The School Friends Edition

A few years ago on Buzzfeed, I found this page that listed various events, milestones, and other silly occasions that occur on people’s birthdays — some fascinating, some bizarre, and some that are simply shocking beyond belief. Then I proceeded to share it with some of my family and friends on Facebook and reveal to them which weird national holidays fell on their birthdays — in other words, not only do people have birthdays, but it turns out that everything on the face of the earth has a special day of its own. Now that I own this blog, I’ve decided to expand this presentation and split it into three parts — school friends, theater friends, and family members as well as other friends in my circle.

Since I was best-known amongst my school friends as the bloke who could memorize their birthdays at the back of my head, I thought it would be fitting to start with this group of folks and share what they get on their big days. Some of the people I included in my Facebook note return here, and others who didn’t make the cut last time will be warmly welcomed here. Each of these will be presented in order of month; so, without much further ado, here is the list.

JANUARY

Elizabeth and Jennifer Ridenhour – January 9th

National Apricot Day – Not a bad place to start, eh? With twins and fruit, what could possibly be better? Jokes aside, either of them could own a garden which partly consists of apricots blossoming in due season. Certainly is a swell idea.

Laura Bailey – January 29th

National Curmudgeons Day – Nonsense! She’s one of the most chipper, optimistic people I’ve met. From memory, I might have only seen her in a bad mood once, which included her raising her eyebrows — something she would rarely do.

FEBRUARY

Stefanie Shimel – February 3rd

National Work Naked Day – Say what?! I could never imagine her going nude! No way, Jose! Not even while singing (we did have choir class in Grade Eight after all).

Jeffrey Medlin – February 29th

Leap Year Day – Duh! This only happens every four years, but let’s just say he should consider himself blessed to be one of those rare people to be born on such a remarkable day on the calendar. Happy birthday, lad — well, sort of!

MARCH

Megan Ross – March 3rd

International Irish Whiskey Day – This one’s somewhat appropriate, considering it’s only two weeks away from St. Patrick’s Day, and she might as well give that drink a try one day, if she hasn’t done so. Especially if she’s of Irish heritage, then it’s a must!

Gary Lewis – March 10th

International Bagpipe Day – Considering the gentleman adventurer that he is, I can see him traveling to Scotland and blaring out those bagpipes. Epic win!

Brittney Vaughn – March 25th

National Waffle Day – There ain’t nothing to start a spring morning — or a birthday — right with a good old-fashioned breakfast of well-prepared waffles. Also adds plenty of energy for the day that lies ahead.

APRIL

Jeff Abrams – April 8th

National Draw A Picture Of A Bird Day – He would most definitely be skilled at this, as I remember seeing him draw once or twice. Now if he can draw a bird, that makes a Crowning Moment of Awesome on his part.

Nicole Kursun – April 13th

National Scrabble Day – Like her cousin mentioned the month before, she gets something particularly epic. She could challenge him or anyone else to a game of Scrabble for an hour or so, and if she’s lucky chances are she might win!

Devon Oglesby – April 16th

National Wear Your Pajamas To Work Day – I can kind of see her doing that, particularly if it’s the end of a work week. Even though she labors for a family healthcare, it’s not hard to envision this happening to her. She might as well encourage her clients to do the same thing, too.

Kim King – April 21st

National Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day – Gee, you think? I’m very well aware she has a couple of dogs, but not necessarily a bulldog per se. Based on the photos I’ve seen, her bulldogs are beautiful nonetheless.

MAY

Josh Huston – May 2nd

National Truffle Day – Huston and fungi? Kind of hard for me to envision, whether he has a garden or not. Regardless, if he does, I suppose he’d be content with his children gathering mushrooms for mealtimes — provided they’re edible.

Monica Meyers – May 9th

Lost Sock Memorial Day – My, this is a heavy one! Who knew that losing your socks could be so dramatic? As far as I’m concerned, she seems to be mature and cautious enough to keep her socks well-organized. Still, we can’t see what the big fuss about that sort of thing is anyway.

Courtney Carnahan – May 21st

National Strawberries And Cream Day – Ah, this one is ravishing! I wonder if she could have a meal like this with her folks on a vacation or a holiday gathering — that makes a scrumptious thought.

JUNE

Jeanette Aites – June 8th

National Jerky Day – This is a rarity! I’ve rarely ever seen anyone eat beef jerky, let alone people I went to school with, but she gets a pretty sweet deal. Perhaps the best time to have it is during a camping trip, in which this is included as a snack to munch on by the campfire.

J.P. Burcks – June 13th

National Axe-Throwing Day – Wow, that is so hardcore! Seriously, though, he turns out to be a relatively tough chap if the situation calls for it, and I’m sure he can handle throwing axes like a boss.

Britt Hensley – June 16th

National Fudge Day – Now this one’s more like it! We’re talking about the sweet tooth here, and she gets a genuine treat. If she gets a brownie cake for her next birthday, that ought to be something special.

Molly Kindrick – June 24th

National Pralines Day – Sounds a bit appetizing. It’s not hard to see her baking this, as we did have Nurtition-Wellness class together in Grade Nine.

Michelle Niewald – June 27th

National Pineapple Day – Fruit appears once again, folks! Perchance she might enjoy a pineapple beverage in hand, yet we may never know for sure.

JULY

Benjamin Heiman – July 5th

National Bikini Day – Oy vey, you’ve got to be kidding me! This bloke in a bikini?! Inconceivable! Unless he longs to try out in a nightclub act and dress in drag, it could fit him to a small extent. But, who knows?

Michael Andrade – July 9th

National Sugar Cookie Day – Heheheheh, I never realized he was such a sweet tooth! But perhaps in the near future, in place of a birthday cake, he may as well use a sugar cookie to add spice to the big celebration — make of that if you can!

Marissa Krassinger – July 18th

National Caviar Day – Don’t know if she could afford that, but if she hasn’t tried it yet, we could suppose she could dine on that at lavish restaurants with her husband. Just remember, you don’t like it till you try it.

AUGUST

None of note.

SEPTEMBER

Natalie Siefert – September 18th

National Cheeseburger Day – Ah, more food appears here. If she had these on her birthday, what a feat that would be! Just be sure to use tomato sauce, too.

Kristin Green – September 22nd

National Hug A Veteran Day – Seeing the loving and warm-hearted person that she is, we can definitely envision her giving a warm embrace to any man who’s served in a war — whether from history or from recent years — as long as he’s alive and well. All the same, it’s genuine gratitude for serving our country.

Heather Wilson – September 30th

National Chewing Gum Day – All right, this is a decent observance. If she does chew gum once in a while, let’s say this is the day to chew as many packs as she can — this is celebrating a birthday with style.

OCTOBER

Thomas Corrigan – October 2nd

National Name Your Car Day – That’s something he’s be really good at, in my honest opinion. In addition to music tours and soccer feats, he could also be a grandmaster of giving cars any sort of name.

Brianna Stout – October 9th

National Beer and Pizza Day – Well, well, fancy that! If it’s the eve of a weekend or a party with her bosom companions, we can picture her having this combo of a meal — the pizza part especially. Mamma mia!

Sidney Bedwell – October 24th

National Food Day – There have been many mentions of food in this article, but she gets food of any and every sort! That includes fruit, veggies, meats, dairies, proteins, wheat and even junk food — than goodness for food pyramids, no?

Shelby Joeckel – October 31st

National Knock-Knock Jokes Day – She seems to be fond of a good joke every now and then, and maybe she might give a shot at pulling one or two of her own. As we all know what this day also indicates, she might as well knock-knock on the door saying “Trick or treat!” and come up with a clever witticism there. How delightful!

NOVEMBER

Mark-Anthony Gillera – November 17th

National Unfriend People On Facebook Day – Ouch, that’s harsh! This act of cruelty has happened to me quite a few times, possibly based on misunderstanding, and I hope he never does this to me. It would be unforgivable! (For that matter, I hope the same is true for any of my other school buddies, however many there are.)

DECEMBER

Zoey Flaxbeard – Decemeber 4th

National Wear Brown Shoes Day – Oh, that’s easy! I don’t think I ever noticed her shoes (with the possible exception heels), yet I can imagine her wearing brown tennis shoes. If anything.

Cathrine Chesbro and Hannah Fraley – December 16th

National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day – Last but not least, we have another pair of twins, and what a way to close this out! As we know, they both dearly cherish the Yuletide season, and if they add chocolate to go with anything, that takes it up a whole level of pure deliciousness! For Christmas devotees, this is a perfect match for their holiday spirits.

I will stop right here. Trust me, this is solely based on what I have learned and researched, so don’t shoot the messenger! This did sound like a great deal of fun, and I hope you enjoyed learning from this just as much as I enjoyed sharing it. Proof that we never stop learning. If any of you contemplate trying these out to coincide with your day of birth, the choice is up to you!

As mentioned before, this is the beginning of a three-part series covering this challenge; in the second part, I will switch my focus to my buddies from the wonderful world of theater, and see what strange holidays they get on their big days. Until then, ta-ta and toodle-loo!

TO BE CONTINUED….

A New Goal for the Year Ahead

Greetings, readers. Now that it has been a month into 2021, I would like to state that I have a new idea for this calendar year. Since I’ve had this blog for three years by this point, I wish to announce that I intend to post many more articles this year than I have in the past.

I may not have been too consistent with blogging like I should, but writing is one of my many passions and I would love for you all to continue to learn more about me in my upcoming articles, as well as my thoughts on various different subjects such as literature, film, and of course theater. (I am a born entertainer after all.) Once in a while, I’ll hope to write stories to keep you all amused, two of which I already have in mind — one concerns my friends from school paying a trip to see me perform in a stage production (I’m surprised that none of them have had a chance to catch me in action yet, apart from a couple of under-classmates); another will be about my dearly departed mentor Dave Houghton putting on a show up in Heaven, joining forces with his buddy William Shakespeare.

Occasionally I look forward to posting book and movie reviews, and I’d be more than happy to accept any requests from you. If you have anything in mind, let me know in the comments and I’ll review whatever you have presented before me. Also when it’s safe to go out to the theater again, I’ll discuss my thoughts on plays I have seen and possibly analyze them. I’ll even go as far as sharing my own experiences in theater, both for past shows and for those coming in the future (which I hope will be many — after all, acting in performing arts is my dream career). Whatever happens, I’ll try not to arouse any controversy in my territory — such foolishness isn’t the kind of thing I like to stir.

Thanks for taking your time to read this, and I anticipate sharing many more new articles for this calendar year. I’m determined to make this my best year on this blog yet, in spite of what happens, and I hope you all enjoy what I have to say! Catch you later.

“The Ember Island Players”

If you know me up close and personal, I am not a big fan of most TV shows. For the most part, the small screen doesn’t really appeal to me as much as full-length motion pictures, unless it’s a miniseries or, occasionally, a show that a certain number of friends enjoy. In particular I’m not too keen on anime shows, since although I respect Japan’s efforts in the animation world, they don’t exactly attract my attention. When I was a kid, I was forced to watch a couple of silly anime programs (*cough cough*, “Pokemon”, “DragonBallZ”, “Digimon”, I’m looking at you). I guess over-the-top, stylized cartoon action isn’t my cup of tea. (No offense to my readers, I’m just voicing my opinion. However, one show that most of my siblings know and love is a huge hit on Nickolodeon and continues to be popular fifteen years after it first aired, and while I never really sat down to watch an episode from beginning to end, there was something that drew me in for one brief shining moment. The show I’m referring to is… “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”

About ten years ago, I first became aware of this show when my siblings binge-watched it on Netflix during Labor Day weekend while watching them in our parents’ absence. All I remember up till now is the introduction, end credits and the name of a major character, Zuko. Only fairly recently did my younger brothers return to it on Netflix after a while, and to this day they still talk about it regularly. As I mentioned before, I haven’t really watched the show myself other than bits and pieces… but last night, there was one certain episode that somehow drew me in and commanded my attention for certain reasons.

Towards the end of the third season, the main characters — by name, Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Suki and Zuko — decide to take a break from training for combat during the middle of a war (this episode is soon followed by a much longer conclusion to the season). The fun begins when they discover that there is a new play in town written by a respected dramatist… and it’s entirely about themselves! One night, they pay a trip to the theater — and what a wonderful idea to seek diversion during a time of stress and chaos — and sit in the balcony of the auditorium to get a good view. As the play before them unfolds, they learn that this is a propaganda piece for Fire Nation, and contains a truncated plot involving themselves being performed by scenery-chewing thespians at the top (or bottom, depending on how you view it) of their game. The hammy stage production seems light and amusing at first glance, but later on our heroes question their past actions and end up detesting the show. The only member of the gang who seems to enjoy the spectacle in any way whatsoever is Toph, who labels the writer as a “genius”, feels the actors playing her friends nail their parts, and is particularly astounded that she herself is played by a strong, tough and beefy dude. It concludes with the Fire Nation declaring victory of the protagonists, which prompts most of the audience to give a standing ovation; meanwhile, the gang walks away and express their contempt for the show, and leave some praise for the visual effects.

So what was my reaction to this episode? Simply put: I LOVED it! This may seem obvious just because I’m both a theater lover and an actor myself, but what really appealed to me about this one episode of “Avatar” was the concept of this group of young warriors going to the theater, which I never thought would happen in this anime series. From the moment Sokka mentioned the play, I was instantly drawn to the small screen with my brothers for twenty minutes and was hooked up until the closing credits.

To begin with, if you love theater just as much as I do, you’re in for a real treat in this episode. You don’t have to be a fan of “Avatar” to enjoy it, just as long as you have a blast and see the whole show summed up in a nutshell. What we see here are the heroes being portrayed as the “villains” in the eyes of the Fire Nation, all of this supposedly being based on research about them conducted by the playwright. As Katara notes during an intermission, these are not accurate portrayals of the real deal, simply exaggerated depictions of the gang. In the finale, the major characters are wiped out in the hammiest way imaginable, and the “hero” (or, in the real characters’ eyes, the enemy) triumphs. Ultimately the play is so ridiculous that it’s an entertaining work of art all the way through.

Furthermore, this episode was surprisingly hilarious — another aspect I wasn’t expecting from this cartoon. Not only are the main characters being lampooned in a stage production, it is also a wickedly funny representation of the primary events of the series and the hamminess of the actors portraying them sells the whole thing. To be honest, I was practically laughing my stomach off while watching this, mostly due to the various reactions of the heroes in the audience, the corny dialogue the performers deliver, and the guessable outcome of everyone’s opinion as the end. Why, this one episode is practically as laugh-out-loud hilarious as many of the funniest scenes in all of cinema, such as the “Make ‘Em Laugh” number in Singin’ in the Rain, the mirror sequence in Duck Soup, the Black Knight scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Cary Grant going “GAY all of a sudden” in Bringing Up Baby, Eddie Valiant’s slapstick dance for the Toon Patrol Weasels in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, the phone call in Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, the closing line of Some Like It Hot, “Puttin’ on the Ritz” in Young Frankenstein, the iconic line in Airplane!, and many others. At one point I was laughing so hard that I almost shed tears — seriously, I was in complete hyseterics.

As far as the production value in the play goes, it’s just as good as you can expect in exemplary theater. It’s got grandiose, over-the-top performances from the actors playing the gang, believable scenery, eye-popping effects (most notably the flames in the conclusion, a rare accomplishment on stage), and of course, wonderful, laugh-out-loud humor. No matter what you think of the ending, whether you’re on the side of the gang or the Fire Nation citizens, you will get a kick out of this so-bad-it’s good experience. (Fun fact: Aang is portrayed by a girl, very much to the real Aang’s displeasure — this is a direct nod to the original stage production of Peter Pan by Sir James M. Barie where the eponymous hero was played by a woman (Maude Adams, if you’re curious). Not surprising since the real Aang is pretty much a Peter Pan-like character himself.)

In conclusion, despite the fact that I’m not a big TV-watcher, instead preferring movies to the small screen, “The Ember Island Players” from “Avatar: The Last Airbender” is an absolute delight, both for fans of the show and for theater lovers in general. It also brings me hope in that one day, when order is restored to the outside world right now, I will be back onstage again someday soon, and resume my acting career. Though I wish this episode could have been a good deal longer (even if this was the penultimate chapter of the season, I guess I can’t blame the creators), this installment in the cartoon is terrific entertainment for all ages, and if you love the performing arts like I do, you won’t be disappointed. Someday I may consider giving a shot in joining my siblings in watching “Avatar: The Last Airbender” for pure entertainment value — possibly when I have kids of my own one day, only time will tell.

I give “The Ember Island Players” 9 out of 10.

Friendship Tribute Videos

Ten times the rains have come and gone since I graduated from the school district I attended for so many years, alongside my cousin and hundreds of memorable characters. In some ways, it does feel like I was in school so long ago, while in other ways, I still clearly remember going there like it was only yesterday. To this day, I vividly recall walking those hallways, seeing those lively faces of my classmates as well as both upper- and underclassmen, the school bell ringing five minutes in between class periods, the insane volume of school assemblies, and timing the morning announcements every day — some longer than others. Now to be perfectly frank, I openly admit that my time in the Ritenour School District has left a huge impact on my life, not just for all these details I have mentioned, but for one thing in particular: my classmates themselves.

This was no ordinary high school class. The class I was in consisted of numerous boys and girls who took a liking to me for the most part, chiefly  because they were stunned by my insane memory skills at the time, particularly memorizing their full names and the dates they were born. Seriously, that’s what I best-known for back then! Just about every day, whether I was having a good day or a bad day, these kids would come up to me right out of nowhere and make me play their favorite game with me: the “Birthday Game”. What’s more, once I correctly revealed their birthdays to them, they would never stop. Once in a while, when the spirit moved me, I would sing songs from Broadway musicals in their presence, and they would frequently request me to perform show tunes for them over and over again. (This was the closest I got to revealing my true colors to these people in the school days — in other words, my ambition to become an actor on stage. Only years after we graduated did I finally reveal the truth to them.) In short, what made this class so special was more than just their camaraderie and their perseverance, but in their own words, they sincerely loved me. Thus it got to the point where I could actually call these people my friends.

To this day, they still are.

Now, to cut to the chase, here is the subject I have to bring up: in recent months, during the course of the coronavirus lockdown, I formed a new pastime that I could do while unable to perform in theater at this time: make video collages on my phone that I call “friendship tribute videos“. What are they exactly? I’ll tell you: a friendship tribute video is basically a series of photos of any two friends from school, work, church, or other places (even theater), that honors their friendship. So, in light of this year being the tenth anniversary of the Ritenour Class of 2010 graduating from their alma mater, and we continue to await our impending class reunion, I have decided to devote my time to be a little creative and make such videos devoted to any two friends who were part of the class. They can be exceedingly close friends during the time we were in school, or strong bonds that continue even today, or simply friends who have been separated for a considerable length of time. Not only am I honoring the friendships of two such people, but in a way, part of the point in me making these videos is to bring the friends back together. Or, that is to say, revive their friendships. As of today, I have created fifteen of these friendship tribute videos, and if you wondered how these videos are created, I will explain the process to you in ten steps.

  1. Select any two friends on your Facebook page. If they are close or have gone their separate ways, this would be a great idea in order to make them happy.
  2. After the friends are chosen, proceed to find as many pictures of them as possible and save them onto your cellular phone — most of them are individual profile pictures, but if their friend(s) are present with them, you may include them if you wish.
  3. Once you have all photos of both friends present and accounted for, proceed to blend each photo side by side. To achieve this, you must have a “Layout” tab on your phone which should at least be connected to Instagram. Whether you want to place the photos literally side by side or one on top of the other is entirely up to you.
  4. Then find several photos of the two friends together. If the friends you have in mind don’t have any photos together at all, feel free to make up for it by finding several more of their individual Facebook pictures — first separately, then side by side, just like before.
  5. Here comes the final part of the photo selection: add the two friends’ names in the second-to-last photo that you have, and for the very last photo feel free to add a caption along the lines as “Besties for the Resties”, “Friends for Life”, “Bob + Alice = BFFs (Best Friends Forever)”, or even “I love you.” If the friends are super close or have romantic feelings for one another, the latter caption would be fitting.
  6. With all the photos of the two friends stored on your phone, press the “Memories” section on your phone, and then click on the latest “memory” you have, which will promptly create a little slideshow of the most recent photos in your collection. If any of the photos you selected are missing from the initial slideshow, be sure to add them all into the video, and then add it to the “Memories” section so you can keep it.
  7. In the settings on the bottom right of the video, add a title (“Bob and Alice: A Friendship Tribute Video”), as well as any title style you wish to use. There are selections of music you can use to accompany the video — the mood can be dreamy, sentimental, gentle, chill, happy, uplifting, epic, club, extreme, or custom. Here the choices are all yours!
  8. If you wish to add a little more color to the photos in your collection, feel free. Press the settings on the bottom left of the photo, and choose the look you want for your video — it can be in color or black and white. I would also recommend lighting the photos to make them look better, making the overall look more stylish.
  9. As soon as the process is complete, press the button at the far bottom left of the video. If you pull up the sharing options, you’ll find “Save Photo”. Then, the video will be exported to your collection, along with all the photos you have previously selected.
  10. Finally, share the friendship tribute videos on the two friends’ Facebook walls, and as soon as they’re ready, they can be enjoyed by the friends themselves, their other friends, and even their families. The best part about it is the praise you receive from these people over your hard work and taking time out of your day to make them happy. Such a warm and fuzzy feeling, isn’t it?

Well, I hope this helps! I’m glad that for those of you who have seen my friendship tribute videos have enjoyed watching my labor of love, and rekindling your bonds along the way. If you would like me to make one of these videos for you or your friend, do feel free to inform me, because I would be exceedingly happy to do it! Bonus: if any of you would be so bold as to make such a video tribute to me and my cousin, that would certainly be nice — if you know me and are reading this, you should know just who I’m talking about.

I hope you enjoyed learning about this process of making friendship tribute videos, and bringing friends back together in perhaps the most heartfelt way possible during this crazy time. Someday we will all be together again, I am sure of it! Thanks for reading, and I hope you all continue to do great. See you around.

 

 

 

How the Virus Stole Easter!

Happy Easter!

The other day, a friend of mine shared a paraphrased rendition of Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” which was related to the situation around Easter and the whole COVID-19 issue that’s been enslaving the world lately. Allegedly, it was penned by somebody named Kristi Bothur as a homage to Dr. Seuss’ original creation, and it amazingly follows the source materical quite closely — even while it has been revised for obvious reasons. I thought it was so clever and expertly composed that I have decided to share it here in this blog article; now this is the first time I have ever composed a blog on a holiday. So sit back, relax, and I hope you enjoy this little affectionate parody as our holiday special.

Twas late in ’19 when the virus began. Bringing chaos and fear to all people, each land. People were sick, hospitals full, doctors overwhelmed, no one in school. As winter gave way to the promise of spring, the virus raged on, touching peasant and king. People hid in their homes from the enemy unseen. They YouTubed and Zoomed, social-distanced, and cleaned.

April approached and churches were closed. “There won’t be an Easter,” the world supposed. “There won’t be church services, and egg hunts are out. No reason for new dresses when we can’t go about.” Holy Week started, as bleak as the rest. The world was focused on masks and on tests. “Easter can’t happen this year,” it proclaimed. “Online and at home, it just won’t be the same.”

Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the days came and went. The virus pressed on; it just would not relent. The world woke Sunday and nothing had changed. The virus still menaced, the people, estranged. “Pooh, pooh to the saints,” the world was grumbling. “They’re finding out now that no Easter is coming. They’re just waking up! We know just what they’ll do. Their mouths will hang open a minute or two, and then all the saints will cry boo-hoo.”

“That noise,” said the world, “will be something to hear.” So it paused and the world put a hand to its ear. And it did hear a sound coming through all the skies. It started down low, then it started to rise. But the sound wasn’t depressed. Why, this sound was triumphant! It couldn’t be so! But it grew with abundance! The world started around, popping its eyes. Then it shook! What it saw was a shocking surprise!

Every saint in every nation, the tall and the small, was celebrating Jesus in spite of it all! It hadn’t stopped Easter from coming! It came! Somehow or other, it came just the same! And the world with its life quite stuck in quarantine stood puzzling and puzzling. “Just how can it be?””It came without bonnets, it came without bunnies, it came without egg hunts, cantatas, or money.”

Then the world thought of something it hadn’t before. “Maybe Easter,” it thought, “doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Easter, perhaps, means a little bit more.” And what happened then? Well… the story’s not done. What will YOU do? Will you share with that one or two or more people needing hope in this night? Will you share the source of your life in this fight? The churches are empty — but so is the tomb, and Jesus is victor over death, doom, and gloom. So this year at Easter, let this be our prayer, as the virus still rages all around everywhere.

May the world see hope when it looks at God’s people. May the world see the church is not a building or steeple. May the world find Faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection, may the world find joy in a time of dejection. May 2020 be known as the year of survival, but not only that — may it start a revival.

Happy Easter to all!

So there it is! The bottom line here is that, even though coronavirus may still be free to do its harm and I’m sure it will someday be defeated, let us remember now to take heart and remember on this day, Jesus has both conquered the grave and overcome the world.

God bless you all!