Hello Everybody!

So I’ve been thinking about how best to introduce my blog to the five people who are actually going to read it. After some careful deliberation I’ve decided to start with a quick story that is both sad and funny. Hope you like it!

This story occurred last week, when I was making an overnight pit stop in Santa Barbara on my way to the Bay Area. I was staying with my brother who lives there (actually he lives in the college town Isla Vista, more commonly known as IV. If you haven’t been there or heard about it then just know that it’s a crazy madhouse of a town that actually lives up to the college hype. Remember in the movie Pinocchio when Pinocchio goes to that island where all the kids get to play all day, and later they turn into jack asses? Yeah, that’s IV.) Anyways, my brother throws a party the night I’m staying there, which means that dozens of his friends show up at eight and start drinking and dancing and all that. Which is totally cool, except that I feel a little weird because I’m the oldest person at the party by at least four or five years. I mean, I’m not usually the type of guy that feels out of place in most situations, but honestly, I felt a little weird at this party.

So of course, I do what anyone does when they’re at a party and feel out of place, I start drinking. And after a few drinks I start feeling better. I even start to feel outgoing, so I decide to start a conversation with one of the partygoers.  It went great, in the beginning, but then things took a sad turn.  And it all started with a simple question by him:

Him: So what do you do?

Me: Well I’m a writer.

          Him: Oh really? In LA? Wow. Yeah, I was thinking about getting into that myself, but I decided against it.

Me: Oh yeah? When did you change your mind?

Him:  I guess when I realized it was the single hardest career you could ever go for.

                         Me: Uh, yeah, it’s not easy.

Him: [laughs] You can say that again. I mean it’s like impossible. That’s why I decided to major in engineering instead.

Me: You really think engineering is easier than writing?

Him: Hell yeah. I mean, sure Engineering is complex and difficult, but carving out a career in writing is like winning the lottery. 

Me:  I don’t know if that’s totally accurate … 

Him: Well maybe not. If you have like great connections in the industry.

Me: Yeah exactly.

Him: Are you connected?

Me: Um, no, not really.

Him: Oh. Well I bet you have an agent and stuff right? I mean you must have by now since you’re…

Me: 26.

Him: Yeah, if you’re 26 and trying to be a writer in Hollywood  I bet you at least have an agent.

Me: Yeah. [pause] I don’t have an agent.

                        Him: Oh. Well, I bet you have lots of experience pitching movies to producers and things like that.  

                        Me: Yeah of course… I mean, no. Well sort of. I pitched this short film to a producer a couple years ago.  

                        Him: Oh. Did it get made?

                        Me: No. 

                        Pause.

                        Me: But I mean, I don’t really just want to write for movies. I’m exploring other options too.

                        Him: Oh like TV? That’s awesome. I love that show Breaking Bad.

                        Me: Yeah that’s a good show. I’m definitely interested in TV writing, but that’s not my sole focus right now.

                        Him: Oh. So what are you focusing on right now?

                        Me: Well… I’m about to launch my own blog soon.   

                        Him: [Long Pause] Oh. Nice.  Blogs are neat.  My aunt from Wisconsin has a blog.  

                        Me: Oh cool.

                        Him: Yeah, she writes about funny things that happen to her and stuff. It’s alright, but I mean who really wants to hear about what someone else found funny. Am I right?  

Me: Yeah, no one wants to read that. 

                        Him: Exactly. So what’s your blog about?

                        Me: Oh, funny stories that have happened to me. 

                        Him: Oh. [pause] Cool. Hey do you want to take a shot of vodka?

                        Me: No, I think I need to be alone for awhile.

                        Him: Okay. Friend me on Facebook and I’ll send you a link to my Aunt’s blog.

                        Me: Will do.

And that’s the story. Was there a point to that story? I don’t know. But there was one thing he said that really touched me: Blogs are neat.

So true. So very true.

In all seriousness, I really am excited that I’m finally putting out a site that is all my own. Because at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if no one else wants to read about me, what matters is that now when I go on the internet I can go to a site where I can read all about me. That is pretty neat.