I made this because I thought we could all use a little inspiration once in a while.

I’m leaving the place I’ve lived for ten years.  The first place I lived outside of my parents home, the place I went to school, the place I realized my dreams, the place I went after my dreams, the place I made some amazing friends.

I’ve had joy, depression, love, heartbreak, I’ve lived almost my entire adult life here.  I love this place.

I feel it’s time to go. When I think about the next stage of my life I’m filled with excitement and hope, but today I am thinking about the people I will miss, the people that I love.

Anyways, I love you Calgary.  I will miss you.

The thing is I’m trying to remember to blog when I’m excited about things, when I’m encouraged by something,  when something makes me smile.

I can blog all my frustrations but it’ll just make them grow.

I need to actually embrace awesome on this blog, not just in my life.

I keep going back to this picture today.  Our problems are pretty trivial sometimes aren’t they?

As we were walking we got to a crosswalk.  The light was red, the don’t walk hand was up, but they didn’t even hesitate, they just kept walking with their heads held high.  When a car had to slam on the breaks the one guy just looked at the car with a expression like, ‘what’s your problem?’ and kept going.  It genuinely seemed like they were annoyed that the car was going where they were walking.

Two things went through my head. First, what would happen to their sense of entitlement after their heads are crushed by an SUV? and second, when are we going to stop feeling so damn special?

I’m not saying that we should have a Harrison Bergeron society where no one is allowed to be the best at anything. I think everyone should strive to be the best they can be at whatever their gift is, and you should be proud of your accomplishments.

Somehow though something happened where you could be special just ’cause, no reason,  just special.  You can’t feel special just because you exist.  We all exist, everyone of us. You can’t expect everyone is going to bend and adjust for you.  Could you imagine if everyone expected that?

I don’t know these two people, hey might not be like this usually,  they might have just been caught up in their conversation and forgot to look, but I see this stuff all the time.  People who want the world to stop for them.

When everyone is obsessed with being special we forget that we are part of a community, we forget to notice other people in a real way.  When everyone starts to believe they are special, just ’cause, we become a mass of people concerned more with how we are perceived and getting what we think we deserve, than how others feel.

It becomes impossible to see other people beyond a superficial level, beyond how they serve us.

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Questions:

What causes this? – Is it being told from a young age you are special? Is it being called a princess?  Is it Mr. Rogers fault?

Am I just imagining this because I’m too judgmental?

I made a joke out of how to tell a joke, but the principle is there.  It’s a matter of testing what works and what doesn’t.

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I was thinking about life and I think it comes down to this question. Are you a Luke Skywalker or are you a Han Solo?

Allow me to explain.

Luke Skywalker was great don’t get me wrong, he was single his entire life but that’s only because he accidentally fell for his sister. The problem with Luke wasn’t that he didn’t do anything with his life, he helped save the galaxy so that’s pretty good, the problem was that he needed way to much outside help.

First, he was genetically determined to be a Jedi.  Not anyone could just become one, you had to be strong with the force or whatever.

Second, the rebellion had been watching him since his birth knowing that he could probably be pretty great someday.

Third, a couple of droids that had very important information just landed at his feet and led him to his trainer.

Fourth, his family dies removing an actual choice.

Fifth, after Obi Wan dies his ghost follows him around telling him what to do.

It isn’t until half way through Empire that he makes his own decision and that turns out to be a trap.

Then we have Han Solo.  Nothing about his life was predetermined.  He chose to to give Luke and Obi Wan a lift, he chose to come back and join the fight. He wasn’t secretly the son of any one.  He wasn’t expected to help out, he really wasn’t even the best man for the job.

He just did what he thought needed to be done.

I think to often we can have a Luke Skywalker approach to Life.  We think that things are just going to fall in to place.  We’ll figure it out eventually.

Meanwhile the droids aren’t showing up, no one is telling you that you have a gift and they need you, and there is no big event that makes the choice for you.

Sometimes I think we can learn from Han.  Make a choice it may not be the right one, you may have bounty hunters after you, but at least you’re doing something with your life.

I have thought about just not posting anything but I want to explain why I think it’s important:

1. I’m worried the way campaigns are run in this country.

It’s reflecting our neighbours to the south. Attack and “patriotic” ads are what we have to deal with.  Not ideas on how to make this country better, not showing why these people would make great leaders.

I know one thing, and I recognize that all parties do this, in the real world you don’t get a job by digging up dirt on the other people being interviewed.  You show why you are the best person for the job, you do this because you respect the person interviewing you.

A good democracy isn’t blindly patriotic, a good democracy recognizes its faults and addresses them. Now the focus seems to be on who is more Canadian.  More Canadian?  What do you think that means? I think most people have different ideas, which is what an election is for.

The more we allow these ads to sway our vote the more we are going to get these ads.

2. I want young people to vote.

We use facebook and twitter to interact.  These debates and argument get people thinking and hopefully it gets them acting.  If you disagree with my points please tell me but also go down to the voting booth and tell them.

I live in Calgary one of the most conservative cities in Canada and we recently voted in a liberal minded partially Muslim mayor. Why? Because he got the youth vote. Obama was elected despite the loud voices of the opposition because he got the youth vote.  All this to say, it really does matter what we think.

3. I have a political leaning.

I think that a lot of what makes this country great, like health care, education, and social programs, come from left leaning ideas.  I think caring for the poor and sick is important and ties into my world view.

I’m not one for just picking a party and only voting for them regardless of their actions, and I have never done that but I know where I stand on a large number of issues.

Although I don’t like the rhetoric of Harper as a dictator, or comparisons to Hitler or Darth Vader, that just isn’t true.  I do however disagree with him on many issues.

I think people should have equal rights regardless of sexual orientation, I don’t understand why we are at war, and I think the conservative party has shown contempt for parliament.

Most of my friends are conservative and I won’t argue with them face to face about it because I’d rather talk real tangible stuff, like how their day was.  I also understand where they are coming from.

Social networking sites are a good way to just say what’s on my mind and get people talking.  Their are a lot of conservative voices out their and I want to throw my 2 cents in.

4. We need change

I feel like this country is at a low point.  I feel we need change.

I know we aren’t as bad as other countries.  I know this government compared to other governments around the world is amazing, but I also know that it’s really awesome that we live somewhere where we have the opportunity to say good enough isn’t good enough.

Thoughts?

It’s OK to let things go - Sometimes you can grow attached to a joke, a line, or a scene, especially if you also wrote and/or acted it.  Sometimes though the over all film will benefit if you say good bye.

The story is shaped in the editing room - Also being a writer I like to think that that’s where the story is really formed, but it’s amazing how much is decided in the editing room. Performances, timing, cutting all determine so much about what story is being told.

It takes a lot of time and I love it.

Also I learned that I’m damn sexy.

Why Haven’t I Leaped Yet

(Also let me know if you want to perform it)