Wednesday, July 10, 2013

The Inaugural Address of Desilu's Diaries

 It is over 100 degrees today, so I am sitting outside, listening to Duke & Coco eat their crunchies in peace, flealess again for the first time in a week. It's really hard to maintain a flealess physique when it is so hot you have to soak them down to keep them cool, which cancels out the flea medicine. But of course, blue Dawn to the rescue!!! One interweb how-to that actually does seem to work.

I am in a contemplative state today because of the Dustin Hoffman vid that has been making it's rounds on the interwebs, which I thought most appropriate for starting Desilu's Diaries. (Not sure of the vid I am talking about? Here it is: Dustin Hoffman "Tootsie" Interview . Watch it, cry a little, grab a coffee, then come back to me). To me, Dustin Hoffman is the “thinker's actor.” Simply meaning, he actually stops and thinks about the roles he's done, and what his intended effect is going to be on an audience when he makes a movie. And he just endeared himself to me even more with his interview. And then I really think about what he said, because it does go both ways. How many people (not men or women, but BOTH) have I passed by without a second glance simply because they didn't meet my expectation of beauty (which is different than Dustin's I would guess, and different from yours as well – in spite of the beauty ideals presented in society, we each have our own view of what makes something – people included – beautiful.)? And aren't a little piece of each of us wondering “how many people have 'ignored' me (for lack of a better term) because I was not their ideal of beauty?” I know that I am an interesting person; I know that my life, for lack of a better phrase, is complicated and messy, making it inherently interesting. As a redhead – if for no other reason – I am interesting! Which leads me to this: challenge yourself to see beyond the physical. We hear about that a lot in today's interwebs; news stories about the incredible people who don't look incredible on the outside, so how did they manage that amazing feat of whatever-it-was? I'm not talking about giving the time of day to the weird guy you don't know who slows by the side of the road to give you a ride “cause it's really hot outside” and that just looks creepy – no, by all means and PLEASE go with your gut instincts on that one!, but the person who you work with, sit by in class, see on your bus route all the time, walks in as a customer in your store on a regular basis – those people – give them not only the time of day, but ask about them. If there is one interweb that truly shows this principle in action, it's HONY (Humans of New York) on Facebook (don't know if they also have a website stand-alone as well, but it's well-worth a google search. Or Bing! It if you're so inclined; whatever, just look them up). When you look at the person photographed, and you read the small conversation/statement, a lot of the time, you would not instantly think of that person being affiliated with whatever was said (although, there are sometimes when they match up like serendipity). What would you tell HONY if he stopped and took a shot of you – what would be your conversation/statement? What do you want people to know about you outside of the physical?? When you strip away your looks (whatever they may be to you) and hide behind a computer screen, what is it that you would share with everyone so they would know about you? Think like that the next time you encounter someone, and it will change the way you see them (I would guarantee it, but I don't make a lot of money, so let's just leave it with I'll give you an I-told-you-so).

For me, this blog is an extension of me. It is my personality on paper (theoretically); my interesting shining through. Some of you know what I look like; I know what I think I look like. But I think my inside is much more fascinating than my outside. For right now, I'm going to take a page from one of my favorite Blogger's books (Aunt Peaches; look her up, ya'll, right after you're done reading. You won't regret it): in her conversation about Dustin's interview, she gives up why her readers – some of us dedicated to her for a couple of years now and love her fiercely – will never see her picture on her blog. I think it is an interesting perspective, and a challenge, especially in this day and age where selfies are all over the net and tumblr and facebook and every other forsaken place available. Not knowing what Aunt Peaches looks like doesn't deter me from wanting to sit, have a lot of coffee (and if she's back on the wagon, Diet Coke for her), and kvetch until the cows come home about anything and everything. Seriously. I would love to have coffee with this woman. If I had mature, responsible, smart brothers, I'd want to set them up with her just so she can be my in-law and we could get together all the time. And again, I have no idea what she looks like (or to blow someone's mind and state the obvious – if she is really a she and not a very crafty gay guy. She's definitely a she, this I go with my gut on; but on another note, doesn't the web making us even think that people aren't who they say they are suck? I know, there are multitudes of reasons why this is, but coming from an age where things “seemed” a lot more straightforward – and that is a whole 'nother blog post in and of itself – I miss the sanctity of someone's word). Any how... Aunt Peaches & HONY: find them. Follow them. Enjoy. I told you so (pre-emptive).

Another vid I watched today was by the infamous Jenna Marbles (Youtube sensation and funny-girl – well-worth a Youtube search and vid watching when you need a giggle or ten). Normally, Jenna is the funny-girl she's known for, but today's vid (was there something special about today that I missed? All of this on one day, no wonder I'm contemplative!) was about finding and being yourself. And you know what? For a girl who makes us laugh over stupid shit, she has got it figured out. I know she's younger than me, but she gets it more than I ever have before watching her spew it out!! I know, I know: sometimes, despite the message, it's the medium that makes it work. Whatever. It worked. I laughed a little, but thought a whole helluva a lot. And I kinda wished – for a moment, anyway – that I knew what this girl knows at her age when I was her age. This girl – in spite of the stupid shit she can come up with – has got her shit together. That was my thought. She will go far in life was my second thought. My third was: what awesome parents she had. Because the foundation is really laid there.

So... since I'm on a roll, let's make the inaugural Desilu's Diaries a really long read. Hopefully not throwing ya'll out on your ear with never-gonna-read-this-again long, but with hmmmm-that-was-interesting-can't-wait-til-next-week long. Since this is going to be a random catch-all of a place, where ya'll can read me work my way through life – my very INTERESTING life, lol – I thought that this last piece would actually start out my re-entry into blogging (but Dustin won, so, ya know): Life List. There were two pieces that got me onto this, and it is a little different than just a bucket list. Everyone has a bucket list – those things we all want to do before we die, blah blah blah. But thanks again to Aunt Peaches (and you can read her inspiration for her on her blog post about this) and Marc and Angel Hack Life, a Life List seems much more appropriate for me: what is it that I want to accomplish – big or small – in this life? Sometime in the next year? Sometime in the next five? Sometime before I die? So, no judgement here, please, and if you are so inclined, leave me a couple of your Life List Musts in the comments... Here goes:
  1. Ballroom dancing lessons – particularly the tango, Argentine tango, fox trot, and paso doble. I look awesome doing them in my head to the music I picked out (where I'm also on Dancing with the Stars, being coached by Tristan... oh those Irish boys... Anyhow, I digress), now I just want to look awesome doing them in real life. Without my current two left feet.
  2. Fly to Europe, but schedule a 6 hour layover in New York, where I hire a cabbie to give me a three hour tour and take me to the best slice or pastrami sandwich he knows about before I have to fly over the Atlantic. My gut tells me that I will be going to London on this particular trip, but no, no current plans.
  3. Speaking of Europe, get a damn passport (with a decent photo) and get it stamped from a couple of places (Mexico & Canada count!)!
  4. Do like the car commercial and buy a t-shirt and take a picture in front of the Welcome to... sign of all 50 states, plus the territories.
  5. Learn at least one more language, and become fully fluent in the two I already know (btw: English counts as a language ya'll already know; becoming fluent in it is an admirable goal!).
  6. Finish my doctorate.
  7. Complete the 101 things to do in Los Angeles list that comes out every year. Maybe not 100 things to do in a year, but have the list and work my way through them so I can get to know the real LA where I live (besides, I do have to work and 100 is like 1 thing every three to four days – when I'm independently wealthy and retired maybe, but that's not going to happen anytime soon).
  8. Write again (and this blog counts). All of my life has been intertwined with writing – my writing. I don't think I've ever really completed anything, but I have used it as therapy. Now, it's therapy and public, so I want to be conscientious about doing it on a regular basis and making it mean something. Don't get me wrong – not every piece of writing should be life or death serious, but just the act itself is important to me.
  9. Learn how to play the piano and the cello. I play five instruments already, but both the piano and cello are two different types that I don't know and have always wanted to learn. Besides writing, music was my second love (and still is).
  10. Step outside of my box. Yep, I live in a box (actually, it's a garage closet, but tit for tat). And as a 30-something, I need to be able to show my son that stepping outside of your comfort zone is not going to kill you, but may actually lead to other really awesome things happening. 

    Ok, I think that's enough mind boggling for one day. I expect to post at least once a week. Sometimes, it may be more (but I will shoot for it never being less – see #8 above). Sometimes it will have serious stuff, and sometimes it will be seriously stupid. All depends on the kind of day/week/hour I'm having and want to share with ya'll. One thing to note: I will always (ok, no promises here) leave you with some of my favorite things from the past week/day/month/whatever. Here's this week's:
    Miranda Lambert's Momma's Broken Heart video and song. I'm not a big country gal, but I sing this on the top of my lungs like I'm not really tone deaf whenever I hear it. I love this song because it's fun; the vid is even more fun.
    Pistol Annie's (feat. Miranda Lambert; yes, I think I have a girl-crush on her, get over it) Hush Hush video and song. A LOT of ya'll watching will stop and go, yep, that looks/sounds familiar, lol.
    George Takei on Facebook. I do miss a lot of the Star Trek humor (not a Trekky or a Star Wars fan for that matter), but he has a seriously funny straight-man style sense of humor that anyone can get. He's funny to read, loves his audience, and really enjoys life.
    Danielle Colby on Facebook. She's the female face of Antique Anthropology, the show American Pickers. She's a fascinating woman, a burlesque star in her own right, and a young hippie. Her posts are sunshiny and happy days (most of the time), and she's definitely grrrl power in her own way.
    Plus, ya'll have to check out both HONY and Aunt Peaches on Facebook, and Jenna Marbles on Youtube. And the one cause I am fully supportive of right now is Bombshells Against Bullying, which has started in the Bay Area (of California) and is moving across Facebook (and hopefully, the world, soon!). They are a cause well worth a mention and support.

    I have a lot of TV to catch up (mainly Rookie Blue and Motive, although I still have to make it through Scandal, and I hear that Mistresses is well worth watching, so maybe. I don't do Game of Thrones, and isn't Downton Abbey off air til March? Mad Men could use some catching up too, but a couple of seasons worth). Reading right now: Nikola Tesla on my Kindle. I may be him reincarnated (and without the genius theories) in just the bad luck genre so he's kin to me. Still have to finish Cleopatra and Middlemarch. Obsessed with Scramble on my Kindle.

    Have a fantastic and interesting week peoples! See you next week!

    Xoxo Desilu

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