You don’t know me, but you will. Maybe not personally, or even in the fleeting way someone knows someone who knows someone, but you will know me. See, I’m pretty much an Average Joe, the regular guy you see walking the streets of the Concrete Jungle. Nothing to extreme, or out of the ordinary, just some guy passing through life on the winds of chance and fate. Someone just like you. Yet, like you, I have ideas, ambitions, opinions, goals, etc, etc, and so forth. (Yes, I did just do a shameless King and I joke.) Ultimately, I think that’s what this new column will present, a forum to express ideas, solicit ideas, tell a few stories, and have you know me, and in turn, I shall know you. Ideally, I’d like to see this as a way to make one small segment of our community grow stronger and firmer, becoming a richer, fuller community.
So where to begin? Decisions, decisions. The first step into any new adventure is usually the hardest (at least that’s what my father taught me), but theatre taught me to always start at the beginning. And we shall… after a few disclaimers:
1. Anyone mentioned in this, and future articles, are absolutely real. Names were changed to protect the guilty and save me the burden of law-suits, because quite frankly, I’m a poor Average Joe.
2. Thoughts, ideas, opinions, advice, and other miscellaneous items are solely my own and do not reflect the views of the website, nor anyone else for that matter.
3. I am human, so I will make mistakes. I believe it’s part of the beauty of life, but more on that later. With that in mind, comments, suggestions, and ideas are welcomed, debates offered and will be met, but flames will be put out.
Let us move forward then, and let me lay down a bit of an introduction , for you see, I don’t think this will be very effective if you don’t understand a bit about me. I was born under the autumn sky, upon the cusp of Libra and Scorpio, though leaning much closer to Scorpio, after my mother suffered through twenty-four hours of labor. I know this because she loves to recount this story at every opportunity, and I do mean EVERY opportunity. Thankfully, my beau, Eric, hasn’t been subjected to this horror story yet (keyword being yet) but my mother also lives in Texas, my home state. I grew up with a fairly normal upbringing, minus the fact that my parents were divorced around the time I was ten or so. Strangely enough, the divorce didn’t have a huge effect on me, it only made me understand a little deeper what love is and what love means. Both of my parents came from the North-Midwest, my father being from Warsaw, New York and my mother being from St. Paul, Minnesota. The facts being what they are I was raised both Northern and Southern, and so have a fairly strong understanding of both cultures.
Let me set the record straight: I do not have a thick Southern accent. In fact, my accent is barely noticeable unless I allow it to be. I digress….
I moved to the Concrete Jungle on March 1 of 2006 and have lived here since. I came to pursue a bit of theatre, put a bit of my life together and ultimately understand myself; and thankfully, these things have happened, though not necessarily in the order listed. During the course of these articles, I’ll reveal more and more of myself, but also my thought process and my own view of the world, a world that I believe is inherently beautiful, beauty marks and all.
Moving forward, I currently live with two of my good friends from back home, Nick and Rog. I also have a wonderful boyfriend, Eric. I work for a corporate coffee chain, and have many wonderful friends and allies, both abroad and in the Jungle. I do believe I’ve summed up the bulk of my existence at the moment.
Before I sign off on this rather jumbled, rambling bit of narrative, allow me a moment to give thanks to someone. A dear friend suggested this “gig” to me, and without his approval or help my words would only be splash of black and white upon a page. I am deeply in Jersey’s debt for this. So, thank you Jersey, for being first a friend, and then a partner in crime.
I believe this wraps up the introduction, short and rambling as it may be. From here only the winds of fate know where the narratives may take us, and down what twisting roads we may ramble.
Texas.
