The next step

Its time to work. And its time to work hard.
After a glorious opening weekend of "dark play," I have had time to digest the praise and the mostly good reviews that have emerged from this production. But now it's time to work. Time to take the next step.
Its great, and I'm very thankful to know great people out here in California. I have good friends to turn to for advice and great co-workers. I have ideas of what I'd like to do next, but what will actually happen is still a mystery...

I saw the movie "Into The Wild" last night and it struck me hard. Sean Penn's movie beautifully displayed the story of Christopher McCandless, who was a college graduate that escaped the real world and found a new way of life in the mountains of Alaska but eventually starved to death. Although he ended up in a place that was quite peaceful and breathtakingly gorgeous, its not so much the final destination that makes this story so compelling but rather the people he encountered on his journey and the relationships he gained. There is something very true in this story that really made me think:
What are we here to do in life?
Why do we do what we do?
Are there things that we've always wanted to do but are afraid to start doing?
Do we convince ourselves that we are happy?
Is there something larger out there in life that we are missing?

The movie was very powerful for me, especially when I'm the exact age as the main character. Christopher McCandless is played by actor Emile Hirsch, who does an amazing job in capturing the free and adventurous spirit that McCandless probably had. Not being afraid of what the wilderness had for him, the college grad who called himself Alexander Supertramp, took his freedom as an opportunity to experience something so amazingly different than most of us in "society" choose to do. This only inspired me to realize where I am in my life, and is helping me realize even more to cherish everything life has to offer.

There are so many things I want to do with my life now, but I have to work, work hard to get there. I could easily drop everything, pack a bag, and hitch hike to the mountains of Alaska, but my adventures will be different than Mr. McCandless'. They will be different, but his story will help me be reminded to find freedom and adventure in life, in a way that hopefully will bring peace and happiness not only for myself, but for everyone else I encounter along the way.