From the Inside Out

Today was rough. I won’t go into the gory details of my life at work, but I was ready for a break at the end of the day. Because we won’t get any rest this weekend (it’s filled with church events on both Sat. and Sun), I was looking forward to one nice, relaxing evening at home.

Not long after we retired to the theater room, the electricity went out. Interesting, I thought, but I wasn’t too worried. It would come back soon. It always does.

I continued to work on my computer. After all, I had a One Life email to send out and a blog to write.

A few minutes passed. The lights remained off. Gary and I finally went downstairs. I checked the breakers, and Gary stepped outside to see if any of our neighbors were experiencing the same problem. I think it’s funny that people go outside when the power fails. They look around as if that’s going to give them some type of explanation. It doesn’t, but I guess somehow it’s reassuring to know you aren’t the only one in the dark with absolutely nothing to do.

Then came the sound of sirens — lots of them. At this point, people started pouring out of their houses to find out what was happening. Like children following the sound of the pied piper, we were drawn towards the noise.

A major accident had occurred on Custer Road just outside the boundaries of our neighborhood. From the looks of it, the car flipped multiple times. It landed on the other side of the guard rail on the bike path. A few feet farther and it would’ve ended up in the creek. Power lines were down across the street, and the top of the telephone poll had snapped off leaving the transformer dangling in the air.

I’m still not certain how the accident occurred, but it was a bad one. My prayers go out to the people who were injured. As I stood only a few feet away from the mangled car, I was given a startling reminder of how quickly things can change. One wrong move, one careless mistake, and you could find yourself upside down in crushed heap of metal.

I think I’ll slow down and try to drive more safely tomorrow.

Tags: accident, power failure, wreck

It’s been six years since The X-Files finished its 9-year run on television. Since that time, fans have eagerly awaited the reunion of their favorite FBI duo on the big screen. Tonight, the long wait ended.

Even though the movie was met with lukewarm-to-negative reviews, I was still ready to attend the midnight opening. After all, I am one of those eager fans.

The funny thing is that I didn’t start watching The X-Files until very late in its run. Back then, I mocked people who enjoyed sci-fi. Eventually, I watched the movie on video and became a fan. The X-Files offered something different — a skeptic who questioned everything and tried to explain bizarre, paranormal happenings through scientific reasoning.

Scully didn’t believe. She needed proof and a credible explanation. I identified with that character. For some reason, I have a tough time accepting things without proof, and it’s difficult for me to completely suspend reality (even in fictional entertainment). Even though many of the things presented in The X-Files would never happen in real life, the show tried to provide a plausible scientific explanation, and I appreciated that.

Walking into the theater, my expectations were low. They had been tainted by the early reviews. I was excited to see the movie, but recognized that it probably wasn’t going to be as good as I had hoped.

I Want to Believe tells a stand-alone story void of the popular X-Files conspiracy mythology. I think this was a disappointment to many fans and reviewers. For me, I was okay with it. I don’t mind a good stand-alone story. The problem is that the movie only delivers a decent story, making it feel like an average episode of the TV show. Don’t get me wrong. I still enjoyed it. Seeing Mulder and Scully back together again was great. I also enjoyed that we got to see the evolution of the couple’s complicated relationship. Still, I wish the movie had more of the traditional X-Files elements that fans expect.

If you are a fan, I recommend that you check out the movie. There are many elements you will enjoy. Just don’t go into it expecting the sequel to be as good as the first.

Tags: i want to believe, mulder, review, scully, x-files

Quiet time is a foreign concept to me. My life is filled with constant noise whether it’s music blasting loudly from my iPod, continuous conference calls at work, or TV programs providing background noise. The only time I turn it off is when I’m going to sleep. 

I’m not sure why I enjoy the constant hum of background noises. As a Gen X’er, I did grow up as part of the “MTV” generation — maybe that has something to do with it? Most likely, it’s simply because the noise keeps my mind busy and provides a decent distraction from the stressors in my life.

Tonight I was reminded that the Bible instructs us to “be still and know that He is God.” A song written by Steven Curtis Chapman expands the thought further:

Be still and know that He is holy
Be still, O restless soul of mine
Bow before the Prince of peace
Let the noise and clamor cease
Be still

In the midst of my busy, chaotic (and yes, noisy) life, sometimes I need that gentle reminder to turn everything off and “be still.” It’s during the quiet times God when speaks the loudest. Sitting at His feet, all of my problems fade away. My restless soul is calmed, and life becomes bearable, even joyous, again.

Isn’t it amazing what a little “time out” can do? It’s like going to the gas station and getting refueled — only without the exorbitant costs. All I have to do is stop “doing” and be still.

Tags: be still, inspiration, peace, quiet, quiet time

Larry Niven states that “everything starts as somebody’s daydream.” Yet many people view daydreaming as an unproductive waste of time. I heartily disagree with their assessment. Daydreams inspire creativity. They also provide a relaxing escape, a “mini-vacation” of sorts where you can release your tensions.

According to an article on WebMD, psychologists estimate that we daydream for one-third to one-half of our waking hours, although a single daydream lasts only a few minutes. These short daydreams offer many benefits. Happy couples tend to daydream about each other when they are apart. This mental connection helps couples maintain their relationships. Daydreams can also help curb anxiety when dealing with conflict. Have you ever replayed an argument in your mind? Oftentimes, we go back and respond differently in our daydreams, playing the argument over and over again. According to the experts cited in the article, this type of daydream enables you to improve your effectiveness in dealing with the person in the future, and it reduces knee-jerk reactions.

Some experts even state that you can decode your daydreams to better understand your mindset and pinpoint needs that you may be neglecting. For example, if you daydream about winning American Idol, you may feel undervalued and desire recognition. If you daydream about a romantic situation, you may desire your significant other to be more attentive or you may be subconsciously mulling the traits you seek in your next partner. Those who daydream about quitting their jobs to become beach bums tend to be bored and desire new creative opportunities. Their “escape” dreams are triggers that something be missing in their lives.

I tend to daydream about the things I want to accomplish. I envision it happening and visualize how I will overcome the obstacles standing in my way. I truly believe these daydreams help me achieve my goals. Remember, “everything starts as somebody’s daydream.” Even the dramas that have been penned by my hand all started as daydreams. It’s like watching television — all I have to do is write it down as the scenes play out in my head.

I also have to admit that I have the “escape” dreams. I’m not sure what that says about me. I don’t think I’m bored. Maybe I am missing something, or maybe I simply want to escape from the stress and find a place where I can do the things I am passionate about, the things that enable me to use my creative skills. Or maybe I need professional help? Who knows?

The next time you daydream, don’t feel guilty about it. Indulge those dreams. You may actually be doing something incredibly healthy for your mind, and you may gain some insight into your deepest wants and needs.

To quote Aerosmith…dream on!

Tags: daydreaming, dream, dreams, larry niven, self help

The cast and crew from Pirates of Patmos reconvened tonight for one last event, the cast party. Now that it’s over, we can officially close the door on Pirates. It was a fun ride and part of me will miss it, but I have some great memories that will follow me forever.

One of the great things about our cast parties is that we hold a special advance screening of the DVD. It allows us to re-live some of our most enjoyable moments from the play, and it’s the first time that the actors get to see their performances. Watching the DVD with the cast is lots of fun, but there’s a bit of humiliation mingled in there too as we poke fun at ourselves. I especially liked the fact that Amy said it was the only time she saw me act girly. I’m still not sure if that’s a compliment or an insult. The “non-girly” side of me is taking it as a compliment.

Now that the final act is over, we can focus completely on the next show, Saturday Night Life. The creative team has been writing for a few weeks now. We have our final list of sketches in place (although a couple are still pending approval…gotta make sure they aren’t too controversial). Casting requirements are almost complete, and auditions will be held next Monday night. Rehearsals begin the first week of August.

I’m sad to see Pirates go, but I’m already looking forward to SNL. We’ve got a great line-up of sketches, and it’s going to be a blast. I can’t wait!

Tags: cast party, Pirates of Patmos, saturday night life