I have been thinking a lot about a speech I made at graduation where I talked about how difficult it is to share my friends with the world. I am so thankful for Facebook and getting the chance to stay updated about everyone's life, but it also makes me sad. Sad because I want you all to be here with me, right now! Geography is a sucky thing. But you know what would be even more sucky? Having friends I didn't care about. So I guess I'll just use geography to my advantage...One of my goals in the next 25 years is to have close friends in all 50 states. This will give me a personal look at what is going on all over the country, and it will be a lot cheaper to travel and not pay for hotels :) (You've had your warning: get that guest bedroom ready for me.)
The last couple of weeks, I have learned a ton at my internships just from observing meetings and professionals in their natural habitat. For example, my next project at one of the internships is helping film a TV pilot that some major networks have expressed interest in. We have regular pre-production meetings at Marie Callender's where I get to eat pie for breakfast if I want (!) and listen in on what aspects of the project are going smoothly and what hiccups needed to be addressed. It is amazing to watch a legitimate Hollywood production meeting in action, where participants take turns talking and work their way down a list of bullet points until the meeting is over. I wish I could say that every meeting I've ever hosted has been that organized.
Another time, I got the chance to listen to some pitches for television shows and then watch them get critiqued by a panel of judges. What I learned from this experience can be applied to any area of life where a person is trying to get something: make it personal. If you are pitching a movie, tell the executive how the story is rooted in an aspect of your own life. If you want your mom to give you a cookie from the cookie jar, tell her how your childhood was shaped by the joy of eating homemade cookies. If you want a car salesman to cut you a good deal, well...there's probably nothing you can say that will help your cause. But this advice will help you get what you want in most situations. You're welcome.
To do this week:
- Go on a walk or run to at least give myself the illusion that I am staying in shape.
- Not confuse a lane of parked cars for a right turn lane. To anyone reading this who was behind me that day when I had to put my car in reverse and change lanes: I am sorry.
- Remind myself to be thankful for everything the Lord is doing and has done in my life.
As Thanksgiving approaches, I hope you find some time to be thankful, too.
Oh, and if Batman ever retires...I've got you covered, Gotham City!
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