Welcome to the newest Chapter of My Life: Chapter 35
In two weeks, I'll be 35 years old. Or should I say, 35 years young!
Today, I'm not where I thought I would be; nor am I probably where I should be but thankfully, I'm not where I was.
I have a bright future ahead of me. I'm not so sure of that but I'm sure I'll be okay - it couldn't possibly be worse then it once was. I survived the worse of the economy and managed to find my way out of a horrible economy ...that's all behind me now.
Through thick - thin and in between I'm still who I am; there's a lot of me and it's all so luscious!
I'm not one to wait until my actual birthday, or New Years to start a new resolution or goal, so Chapter 35 starts now. Besides, my mom told me I was born late, funny because I hate to be late, it's something I've learned throughout the years.
In my new blog, I'll talk about whatever is on my mind; much like before. In the next few weeks, I may just post fun blogs such as this one: Top 35 things you should know about me - here they are in no specific order.
35. I love horses and dogs; I think all animals are adorable and I'd consider it a miracle if I could own a pet on my own.
34. I hope to own a convertible one day; and a nice every day kind of car like a Chevy - at the same time.
33. I once tried out to be a professional NFL Patriots cheerleader; it was an awesome day even though I didn't make the team.
32. When I was 13, I was on a local news show about being a teen candy striper, or as they now say, Hospital Volunteer. I volunteered for 3 years after that day.
31. I once canoed 43 miles of the Saco River in New Hampshire to Maine with a group of Girl Scouts; GS camping was my favorite part of my teen life.
30. Meeting Brett Michaels of Poison was the best part of my 15th birthday. I can't count the amount of celebrities I've met or encountered in person (since that day) on both hands.
29. Graduating from college was one the best accomplishments of my life. The other is actually passing math classes.
28. The summer of 1999 and working as a Girl Scout Camp councilor was fun and the teens taught me something important about myself. I still remember them as well as the women I worked with. That summer has a permanent place in my heart and mind.
27. Working as a nurse's aide, even for a short time was a life changing and life humbling experience.
26. Moving to Boston when I was 26, to live with two other 26 year olds, on 26 Lockland was an awesome year. We were the real life FRIENDS...kind of, sort of, not really.
25. I'm not ashamed to admit that I campaigned for Hilary Clinton when she ran for President; I am ashamed to admit that I didn't walk up to her husband, former President Clinton, to shake his hand when he stood about 10 feet away from me.
24. I am shy and it's the real reason why I never pursued a journalism career; moved to Cali after high school and became a famous person on some hit reality TV show.
23. I did major in Communications and Paralegal studies in college; I thought I'd find a job that allowed me to combine the two. FCC, anyone? JUST KIDDING.
22. Sure, I had wanted to be Political journalist - had there not been so much politics involved (sorry, dumb ass joke for you).
21. I didn't go out to party like a rock star when I turned 21 years old. It took me a few months to actually go out for drinks with friends; it took me about 4 years to actually get out to the clubs and party like a rock star, believe it or not.
20. I'd like to visit Prague one day; as a means to forgive myself for passing up a semester abroad in college.
19. Other countries I'd like to visit for pure pleasure would be Paris, Amsterdam, Australia and England.
18. I learned to speak English when I was six years-old; I still speak French; I can barely read it and I can't write it.
17. I do like go to Church and I pray often.
16. I failed my written drivers test the first time I took it.
15. I took gymnastics, ballet and dance class for ten years before I quit at the age of 15.
14. I hate winter sports and yes I have tried skiing, snowboarding and snow mobiling before coming to that conclusion.
13. The summer of 1989 was the best summer of my teen life.
12. I took my first modeling classes when I was 12 years old and decided I was going to be famous one day; and promised my mom I'd never pose for Playboy. Trust me, I do remember having that conversation with her while we drove home from Cinderella Modeling school and agency.
11. I've lived in 2 different countries, Canada and United States. I've been a resident of 4 different states (NH, MA, NY and NC); spent a summer in Vermont and a winter in South Carolina once.
10. I can't wait to have enough cash to buy a nice camper/RV and travel across America.
9. I like jazz music and coffee shops.
8. I like country music especially Miranda Lambert and Kenny Chesney.
7. My favorite sports to watch live or on TV are: football, NASCAR, Red Sox, gymnastics, cheer-leading, swimming, volleyball and surfing.
6. I love summer and water sports; I hope to surf and swim with dolphins sometime soon, very soon.
5. I plan to continue running in a few short distance marathons; my first 5K with Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson and Joey Logano was a good day and look forward to more.
4. I'd like to own charitable foundation someday; for now, I just donate and get involved to gain as much experience as possible before taking the expensive plunge.
3. I agree with Cyndi Lauper, "Some boys take a beautiful girl and hide her away from the rest of the world; I want to be the one to walk in the sun." If a man wants to have my heart and keep me forever, he must never stop me from reaching for the stars or stand in my spotlight.
2. Competing in Fitness Atlantic and World Natural Sports Organization as a fitness model was the best, the greatest accomplishment in my life. I'm a better person because of the training. I learned to be self motivated; disciplined and focused.
1. Being an aunt to my niece Kami is the best relationship I've ever had; she's my light, my joy and my life.
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Options to Consider when choosing a gym
New Year's is that one time of year when everyone gets ahead of themselves making New Years Resolutions and the most popular resolution that does fail often is:
Joining a gym and sticking to work out plan.
Make 2011 the year that you break that cycle and stick to your work out plan without quitting before the end of January.
This time of year, all gyms have awesome offers for new members but don't be persuaded by their offers. Take the time to really think things through; make the decision that's most realistic for you. Here are some questions to ask yourself before joining a gym. Remember, there are so many ways to get into shape without having to break your bank account.
1. WHY?
Why do want to join a gym? Are you advanced, intermediate or a beginner? Write down your answers in a workout journal and think them through carefully. How active have you been in your past? If you're a beginner, you may want to pay the most attention to all of your options as you shop for a gym.
2. WHAT DO YOU WANT?
Do you want to lose weight; gain muscle mass or live a healthier life style? This is a very important question to ask because as I mentioned above, there are many ways to get into shape without having to break your bank account.
3. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?
All gyms have more or less to offer and here's a great tip: the less the membership fee is, the less the gym has to offer you; sometimes there are a few options, but that means extra fees and higher start up rates. Here are a few things gyms have to offer:
A. WEIGHT LIFTING
Lifting weights is a great exercise. It helps build muscle mass and bone strength. A lot of woman believe if they lift weights, they'll grow big muscles and look like men. The truth is, that is false! The muscle that grows depends on many things, genetics mostly but also depends on how heavy and how often you lift. It takes years for 'big' muscles to grow on half of us; so don't fear weight lifting; there are ways to maintain a decent size muscle. As a matter of fact, most of you only need to lift twice a week if you think about it. Most importantly, know your genetic make up. Lifting weights is good for you, helps burn fat and build strength, lift for those two reasons.
B. CARDIO EQUIPMENT
Treadmills, spin bikes and other elliptical equipment is available at all gyms. These are good for many reasons, losing fat and building endurance.
C. CARDIO CLASSES (spin, aerobics, yoga, pilates, dance, etc.).
Classes are awesome in that they help burn fat and give your entire body a full work out. You also have a chance to work out with friends; make new friends and to be honest, it's a great way to score free training from someone else.
D. OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT THEIR 'SISTER' GYMS
Most gyms are franchises. Gyms such as the YMCA and Golds Gym can be found in many cities. Often times, there's a plan for you to visit their gyms a few times a month at no extra cost; but keep in mind, your monthly membership fee's could be more expensive.
E. POOLS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES
The more your gym has to offer you, the more expensive your monthly fee's will be.
Gyms with pools are the most expensive (hands down). Ask yourself, how important is swimming in your life? How often do you get to go swimming outside in the summer months and where?
I've been working out for more than 10 years and I've been faced with many different scenario's. A popular question I hear often is, "is it better to join a gym near work or near home?"
In my experience, it's better to join a gym near your home. There are times when you'll forget your gym bag and if you work out near home, well, discipline yourself to the point where you can run in the house, change and leave for a work out. After awhile, that will be easy to do and you'll appreciate working out near home more; I find myself most motivated when I've had a chance to come home, unwind from crazy traffic and work and change in the privacy of my bedroom. It's also cleaner that way!
Do you want to work out in the morning or evening? Well, that's a good question. If you're fortunate, you can come home to shower after a morning workout then you have the rest of the day to do what you want to do; but some people don't mind showering in their gym - that's a personal question for you to consider. I don't like to change in a gym, let alone shower in one!
As for the pool question. I spent a lot of money joining a gym with a pool for two reasons. One was because I lived in the big city of Boston and in the summer I didn't have the chance to go swimming outside often. The second reason was because I moved to a deserted town in a tiny apartment and there was no pool around me except for the gym. It was a reasonable fee and I got a lot of work out options for me in both gyms in the city and in the deserted country side.
Right now, I have a pool in my apartment complex that's opened from April to October. Do I spend that extra money to have an inside pool at a gym for the entire year?
CONSIDER AT HOME WORK OUTS
To be honest, when I made the decision to leave behind the gym to work out at home (a year ago), I lost at the gym motivation for starters especially because I was moving to a new state and my personal life wasn't settled. I was fortunate in that I had at home equipment; plus I have my own personal motivation.
At home work outs can be beneficial for a few reasons. For starters, you can work out anytime you want; you can do laundry in between sets; you can play any song you want at the volume you choose; you can work out during a football game, a NASCAR race or during your favorite TV show or movie; you have privacy and if you are motivated, you can concentrate better because you do find your zone.
Negatives about working out at home is that it's easy to skip a work out; you have less options and maybe less room to spread out; it's easy to train less vigorously and it can test your motivation. If you do laundry in between sets, you can be distracted; if you exercise during a sporting event you can start to focus on the sport (or movie) more and slow your work out down.
I learned a lot while working out at home. I did have a television station called, "Fit TV," there were a few work out shows that I loved such as NAMASTE YOGA and Belly Dancing.
I even got involved with a few training websites.
Joining a gym and sticking to work out plan.
Make 2011 the year that you break that cycle and stick to your work out plan without quitting before the end of January.
This time of year, all gyms have awesome offers for new members but don't be persuaded by their offers. Take the time to really think things through; make the decision that's most realistic for you. Here are some questions to ask yourself before joining a gym. Remember, there are so many ways to get into shape without having to break your bank account.
1. WHY?
Why do want to join a gym? Are you advanced, intermediate or a beginner? Write down your answers in a workout journal and think them through carefully. How active have you been in your past? If you're a beginner, you may want to pay the most attention to all of your options as you shop for a gym.
2. WHAT DO YOU WANT?
Do you want to lose weight; gain muscle mass or live a healthier life style? This is a very important question to ask because as I mentioned above, there are many ways to get into shape without having to break your bank account.
3. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?
All gyms have more or less to offer and here's a great tip: the less the membership fee is, the less the gym has to offer you; sometimes there are a few options, but that means extra fees and higher start up rates. Here are a few things gyms have to offer:
A. WEIGHT LIFTING
Lifting weights is a great exercise. It helps build muscle mass and bone strength. A lot of woman believe if they lift weights, they'll grow big muscles and look like men. The truth is, that is false! The muscle that grows depends on many things, genetics mostly but also depends on how heavy and how often you lift. It takes years for 'big' muscles to grow on half of us; so don't fear weight lifting; there are ways to maintain a decent size muscle. As a matter of fact, most of you only need to lift twice a week if you think about it. Most importantly, know your genetic make up. Lifting weights is good for you, helps burn fat and build strength, lift for those two reasons.
B. CARDIO EQUIPMENT
Treadmills, spin bikes and other elliptical equipment is available at all gyms. These are good for many reasons, losing fat and building endurance.
C. CARDIO CLASSES (spin, aerobics, yoga, pilates, dance, etc.).
Classes are awesome in that they help burn fat and give your entire body a full work out. You also have a chance to work out with friends; make new friends and to be honest, it's a great way to score free training from someone else.
D. OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT THEIR 'SISTER' GYMS
Most gyms are franchises. Gyms such as the YMCA and Golds Gym can be found in many cities. Often times, there's a plan for you to visit their gyms a few times a month at no extra cost; but keep in mind, your monthly membership fee's could be more expensive.
E. POOLS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES
The more your gym has to offer you, the more expensive your monthly fee's will be.
Gyms with pools are the most expensive (hands down). Ask yourself, how important is swimming in your life? How often do you get to go swimming outside in the summer months and where?
I've been working out for more than 10 years and I've been faced with many different scenario's. A popular question I hear often is, "is it better to join a gym near work or near home?"
In my experience, it's better to join a gym near your home. There are times when you'll forget your gym bag and if you work out near home, well, discipline yourself to the point where you can run in the house, change and leave for a work out. After awhile, that will be easy to do and you'll appreciate working out near home more; I find myself most motivated when I've had a chance to come home, unwind from crazy traffic and work and change in the privacy of my bedroom. It's also cleaner that way!
Do you want to work out in the morning or evening? Well, that's a good question. If you're fortunate, you can come home to shower after a morning workout then you have the rest of the day to do what you want to do; but some people don't mind showering in their gym - that's a personal question for you to consider. I don't like to change in a gym, let alone shower in one!
As for the pool question. I spent a lot of money joining a gym with a pool for two reasons. One was because I lived in the big city of Boston and in the summer I didn't have the chance to go swimming outside often. The second reason was because I moved to a deserted town in a tiny apartment and there was no pool around me except for the gym. It was a reasonable fee and I got a lot of work out options for me in both gyms in the city and in the deserted country side.
Right now, I have a pool in my apartment complex that's opened from April to October. Do I spend that extra money to have an inside pool at a gym for the entire year?
CONSIDER AT HOME WORK OUTS
To be honest, when I made the decision to leave behind the gym to work out at home (a year ago), I lost at the gym motivation for starters especially because I was moving to a new state and my personal life wasn't settled. I was fortunate in that I had at home equipment; plus I have my own personal motivation.
At home work outs can be beneficial for a few reasons. For starters, you can work out anytime you want; you can do laundry in between sets; you can play any song you want at the volume you choose; you can work out during a football game, a NASCAR race or during your favorite TV show or movie; you have privacy and if you are motivated, you can concentrate better because you do find your zone.
Negatives about working out at home is that it's easy to skip a work out; you have less options and maybe less room to spread out; it's easy to train less vigorously and it can test your motivation. If you do laundry in between sets, you can be distracted; if you exercise during a sporting event you can start to focus on the sport (or movie) more and slow your work out down.
I learned a lot while working out at home. I did have a television station called, "Fit TV," there were a few work out shows that I loved such as NAMASTE YOGA and Belly Dancing.
I even got involved with a few training websites.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Looking Forward
It's that time of year again where everyone reflects on the past and looks ahead by making New Years Resolutions. I've written the year in review type of blogs plenty of times and this year, I'd like to do something different.
I don't want to write out a list of resolutions for the 2011 year; but I know that I have a few in mind that I'd like to mention.
This year I resolve to continue the journey I've started. I moved to Charlotte in the summer of 2010 with a game plan; I'm seeing the light and I'd like to get closer.
There are a few things that I need to work on that will help me reach my goals; for starters, I need to find consistency in my schedule and not waste so much time doing meaningless things like read everyone's tweets or status updates (for extended periods of time that is).
I like to be a productive person and I plan to continue to be that way.
I'm looking for a new place to work out. In October of 2010, I ran my first 5K; I'd like to run more and on Christmas day, I heard about a few marathons coming up in 2011. I love to stay active in a gym; weight lifting is my favorite sport but I also love yoga, it's so relaxing. I'm a fan of swimming, dancing and I like to take a few cardio classes as well as play sports from time to time.
I do miss my healthy lifestyle and I resolve to return to my old habits.
Personally, I resolve to stop feeling scared and nervous; I need to cure my shy streak. As an upcoming writer, especially one who wants to be more involved in NASCAR and Charlotte Lifestyles, I need to talk to strangers; the past few events that I attended I had the chance to meet some of my favorite drivers but because I'm shy I got as far as saying 'hello.' The next event I attend, I resolve to step up to the plate and offer more than a smile.
I resolve to not hang out with negative people and to not allow their negativity get the best of me.
I resolve to finish my script and to spend more time writing my story. There's a writers conference this February, there really isn't a reason for me to not attend.
In 2009, I named my blog, "In the Drivers Seat" because I had decided to sit in the drivers seat in the car of my life. I took a right turn last summer and I'm on a good road and even though there may be tough times ahead, as long as I stay focused and stay clear of the negative people in life, I'll be fine. I got through two tough years, it's in the past and behind me. No need to drive backwards.
So there you have it, I resolve to continue to be the best that I can be; to work on the shyness and to focus on accomplishing my goals.
I don't want to write out a list of resolutions for the 2011 year; but I know that I have a few in mind that I'd like to mention.
This year I resolve to continue the journey I've started. I moved to Charlotte in the summer of 2010 with a game plan; I'm seeing the light and I'd like to get closer.
There are a few things that I need to work on that will help me reach my goals; for starters, I need to find consistency in my schedule and not waste so much time doing meaningless things like read everyone's tweets or status updates (for extended periods of time that is).
I like to be a productive person and I plan to continue to be that way.
I'm looking for a new place to work out. In October of 2010, I ran my first 5K; I'd like to run more and on Christmas day, I heard about a few marathons coming up in 2011. I love to stay active in a gym; weight lifting is my favorite sport but I also love yoga, it's so relaxing. I'm a fan of swimming, dancing and I like to take a few cardio classes as well as play sports from time to time.
I do miss my healthy lifestyle and I resolve to return to my old habits.
Personally, I resolve to stop feeling scared and nervous; I need to cure my shy streak. As an upcoming writer, especially one who wants to be more involved in NASCAR and Charlotte Lifestyles, I need to talk to strangers; the past few events that I attended I had the chance to meet some of my favorite drivers but because I'm shy I got as far as saying 'hello.' The next event I attend, I resolve to step up to the plate and offer more than a smile.
I resolve to not hang out with negative people and to not allow their negativity get the best of me.
I resolve to finish my script and to spend more time writing my story. There's a writers conference this February, there really isn't a reason for me to not attend.
In 2009, I named my blog, "In the Drivers Seat" because I had decided to sit in the drivers seat in the car of my life. I took a right turn last summer and I'm on a good road and even though there may be tough times ahead, as long as I stay focused and stay clear of the negative people in life, I'll be fine. I got through two tough years, it's in the past and behind me. No need to drive backwards.
So there you have it, I resolve to continue to be the best that I can be; to work on the shyness and to focus on accomplishing my goals.
Sunday, December 05, 2010
Are you ready for your gifts?
This morning, after many failed attempts these past Sunday’s, I made it to church. Not my sister’s church, but, the one near my home. I felt a little uncomfortable at first. I’m a Catholic and although I’ve attended many Lutheran services here and in New York, I’m still feeling the whole Catholic Church service is more for me. However, the pastor (or is it minister?) said something in his sermon that stuck with me.
He was talking about ‘gifts’ in life and asked, are you ready for your gifts? In his life, he was talking about getting free tickets to a game on Saturday but having to turn them down because he wasn’t ready for Sunday’s service. He also mentioned parenting and other gifts we get in life.
As he talked, I thought about it and I asked myself, “What gifts has life given me that I was or was not ready for?”
In the summer of 2009, I was accepted at New York Film Academy (NYFA) and was awarded a $10,000 scholarship to attend class’s full time. Unfortunately, that scholarship was not to be used for housing. I missed a chance to move to the city to take in person classes there and had to settle with online writing classes. True, I learned a lot but I question, was I really truly prepared to be a student in NYC? In all honestly, I wasn’t really 100% ready for that gift. As much as I learned online, I still kick myself for not having had that chance to take film classes in person at that Academy in Union Square, NYC.
This past year has been amazing. So much has changed since January. What started off as a fun project for my screen writing class at NYFA turned into a year long fun journey that I didn’t expect.
When I started to write my movie script for class, I wrote it out of inspiration about a sport I knew something about; but the more I discovered, the more I learned the more I fell in love with the sport and I became this fan and suddenly I found myself wanting to get involved with NASCAR journalism. I didn’t expect that.
In April, I started my job as a script writer researching her topic. I called New Hampshire Motor Speedway to speak to people in the communications department. I got some questions answered and got some journalists names…but I missed some names, like the guy I was talking to. I made a few more phone calls and I tried my best to score media passes for myself for the weekend race of June 2010. Those were not too easy to come by. I reminded myself, I was just beginning my journey. I also reminded myself that I wasn’t a journalist but a fiction writer and convincing them I was a legit writer that deserved my pass was going to be a bit harder. So I kept making phone calls.
The weekend of the NH race of June ’10 had arrived and I did my best to be a part of every activity I could think of. NHMS hadn’t granted me the tickets I wanted but I had a pair for Sunday’s race. My father wanted to sit in the best seats and I didn’t mind but they were expensive, so, I didn’t buy the pit passes that would’ve allowed me to get closer to the scenes. Was that my error? Should I have made some deal with dad and bought us two tickets to the infield and asked him to split the cost of our grand stand seats?
The Thursday before the race, I had my bag filled with notebooks, pens and my script. I was ready to make my moves and try to meet some people. Rumor had it that there would be NASCAR people at the local restaurant. I went in but was I really ready? I met Richard Petty but when he and I crossed paths, I was a bit shy and a little bit timid. I said hello, called him Mr. King instead of Mr. Petty and I had my picture taken with him. We parted ways with goodbyes and when I left I was excited but a little disappointed in myself, should I have acted a little bit more professional?
The next day, I woke up early, dressed nicely and went to the track. I tried to convince them to give me the tickets. I told them I had called and called before but no one ever responded. I had done what they told me to do; I had emailed the people they told me to email and made the phone calls I was supposed to make and I had started to do so 3 months before the June race, yet, I still hit a brick wall and didn’t get my passes. I could have bought the $25 tickets to get into the grandstands but instead, I walked around to where the Sprint Experience was set up as well as all the other events were. I met a lot of fans as well as Miss Sprint Cup Monica Plumbo. It turned out to be a fun day and I took notes, knowing that that I had useful information.
That night, at that very same restaurant I met Mr. Petty; Kurt Busch, driver or the #2 Miller Lite car was scheduled to make an appearance. I was ready to go but I was with family, so sometimes getting everyone ready to go out isn’t as easy as it sounds. I had finally convinced them to go out for a drink at the bar and when we arrived, Kurt Busch had left five minutes earlier.
I could have been upset with myself for sitting back and waiting for others to join me; but instead, I shrugged it off.
All I could say about that entire weekend was that it was my first chance to introduce myself to them and I had to learn a lot.
The summer was filled with many unexpected events and experiences and I started to become a little more involved in the sport of racing. I’ve been learning a lot about the Sprint Cup guys and other divisions. I’m starting to like the entire sport as a whole and not just Sprint Cup. I even started to write for the online site Skirts and Scuffs.
I’ve made my moves and each time I try to get myself out there, I’m short on something.
I’ve learned that people in general really do not understand the difference between a script writer and a journalist. I’ve been told over and over again that I need to start my media journey at the bottom. That’s awesome advice for someone who wants to be in the media.
The best that comes from that advice for me is that my fiction story has changed.
Financially, I’m strapped. My journey as a writer is struggling because I have to work a long week at a day job that’ll get me nowhere in life. At best, it’ll pay some bills, food, a social life, my car, some writing seminars and for tickets to a few races next season.
In October, I was out at a bar. I had the chance to meet the driver of the #33 car, Clint Bowyer. I told him I was a writer; he obviously assumed I was media. I tried to explain to him I wasn’t; he misunderstood me I’m sure; but that could have been because I lack the experience as a script writer/novelist when it comes to meeting important people. I do what I can. I learned something at that very moment that I put in my notes and I realized that my story was unfolding.
A few days later, I went up north to an event that Dale Earnhardt Junior would be attending. It was at Victory Junction Gang Camp for the open house to the amphitheater and corral that was built because of his financial donation. It was an amazing opportunity and he and I stood within feet of each other, only saying hello to one another. I missed my chance to introduce myself and to talk to him. I didn’t want to meet him as a fan; I wanted to meet him as a writer, a script writer; a novelist; a fiction story teller that is taking his sport; his story and writing something fun and entertaining about it. After meeting Clint Bowyer however, I took a step back and realized, I really wasn’t ready for that ‘gift.’
The gift to meet Dale Junior. I didn’t get to tell him that his biography, ‘Driver #8’ inspired me as a writer.
What else could I have done to prepare myself to meet him that day?
I kick myself to this day for not biting the bullet and meeting him as a fan.I should have given him my copy of his biography to autograph and told him he’s inspiring and left it at that.
I think that I may have missed my one and only chance to meet him personally.
After today’s sermon though, I’ve been reminding myself that I’m new at this and this is only the beginning. I do live in Cornelius, North Carolina; a whole 15 minutes from Moorseville and Charlotte. It’s not like I’m in NH anymore.
I know what I want. I know what I’m doing but because of the journey, a lot changed and a lot needs to be done for this project of mine to be completed.
I wouldn’t turn down a chance to be a NASCAR journalist/media person; or a job to work in communications or public relations; that’s not a foreign field to me. However, I need to stick to my guns and continue doing what I was doing.
This past weekend, I had intended on spending it alone so I could write my story; the first four drafts of that story are cool for me and friends but I’m not so sure it’s believable enough to sell.
I also realized that I lost my fiction writers voice. All because of the research and writing I’ve been doing for blogs and articles for me and Skirts and Scuffs.
NASCAR season is over. There are no more races until February. I am going to write an article or two for Skirts and Scuffs but I promise myself to continue to write my fiction. I’m better at that anyway.
I’m also prepared for next season.
If I continue this story, it’ll be different than the original. I must scratch it all out and start from the beginning; and anyone who knows anything about fiction story writing, whether it’s a novel or movie script knows there’s a lot of work involved when starting a new story.
He was talking about ‘gifts’ in life and asked, are you ready for your gifts? In his life, he was talking about getting free tickets to a game on Saturday but having to turn them down because he wasn’t ready for Sunday’s service. He also mentioned parenting and other gifts we get in life.
As he talked, I thought about it and I asked myself, “What gifts has life given me that I was or was not ready for?”
In the summer of 2009, I was accepted at New York Film Academy (NYFA) and was awarded a $10,000 scholarship to attend class’s full time. Unfortunately, that scholarship was not to be used for housing. I missed a chance to move to the city to take in person classes there and had to settle with online writing classes. True, I learned a lot but I question, was I really truly prepared to be a student in NYC? In all honestly, I wasn’t really 100% ready for that gift. As much as I learned online, I still kick myself for not having had that chance to take film classes in person at that Academy in Union Square, NYC.
This past year has been amazing. So much has changed since January. What started off as a fun project for my screen writing class at NYFA turned into a year long fun journey that I didn’t expect.
When I started to write my movie script for class, I wrote it out of inspiration about a sport I knew something about; but the more I discovered, the more I learned the more I fell in love with the sport and I became this fan and suddenly I found myself wanting to get involved with NASCAR journalism. I didn’t expect that.
In April, I started my job as a script writer researching her topic. I called New Hampshire Motor Speedway to speak to people in the communications department. I got some questions answered and got some journalists names…but I missed some names, like the guy I was talking to. I made a few more phone calls and I tried my best to score media passes for myself for the weekend race of June 2010. Those were not too easy to come by. I reminded myself, I was just beginning my journey. I also reminded myself that I wasn’t a journalist but a fiction writer and convincing them I was a legit writer that deserved my pass was going to be a bit harder. So I kept making phone calls.
The weekend of the NH race of June ’10 had arrived and I did my best to be a part of every activity I could think of. NHMS hadn’t granted me the tickets I wanted but I had a pair for Sunday’s race. My father wanted to sit in the best seats and I didn’t mind but they were expensive, so, I didn’t buy the pit passes that would’ve allowed me to get closer to the scenes. Was that my error? Should I have made some deal with dad and bought us two tickets to the infield and asked him to split the cost of our grand stand seats?
The Thursday before the race, I had my bag filled with notebooks, pens and my script. I was ready to make my moves and try to meet some people. Rumor had it that there would be NASCAR people at the local restaurant. I went in but was I really ready? I met Richard Petty but when he and I crossed paths, I was a bit shy and a little bit timid. I said hello, called him Mr. King instead of Mr. Petty and I had my picture taken with him. We parted ways with goodbyes and when I left I was excited but a little disappointed in myself, should I have acted a little bit more professional?
The next day, I woke up early, dressed nicely and went to the track. I tried to convince them to give me the tickets. I told them I had called and called before but no one ever responded. I had done what they told me to do; I had emailed the people they told me to email and made the phone calls I was supposed to make and I had started to do so 3 months before the June race, yet, I still hit a brick wall and didn’t get my passes. I could have bought the $25 tickets to get into the grandstands but instead, I walked around to where the Sprint Experience was set up as well as all the other events were. I met a lot of fans as well as Miss Sprint Cup Monica Plumbo. It turned out to be a fun day and I took notes, knowing that that I had useful information.
That night, at that very same restaurant I met Mr. Petty; Kurt Busch, driver or the #2 Miller Lite car was scheduled to make an appearance. I was ready to go but I was with family, so sometimes getting everyone ready to go out isn’t as easy as it sounds. I had finally convinced them to go out for a drink at the bar and when we arrived, Kurt Busch had left five minutes earlier.
I could have been upset with myself for sitting back and waiting for others to join me; but instead, I shrugged it off.
All I could say about that entire weekend was that it was my first chance to introduce myself to them and I had to learn a lot.
The summer was filled with many unexpected events and experiences and I started to become a little more involved in the sport of racing. I’ve been learning a lot about the Sprint Cup guys and other divisions. I’m starting to like the entire sport as a whole and not just Sprint Cup. I even started to write for the online site Skirts and Scuffs.
I’ve made my moves and each time I try to get myself out there, I’m short on something.
I’ve learned that people in general really do not understand the difference between a script writer and a journalist. I’ve been told over and over again that I need to start my media journey at the bottom. That’s awesome advice for someone who wants to be in the media.
The best that comes from that advice for me is that my fiction story has changed.
Financially, I’m strapped. My journey as a writer is struggling because I have to work a long week at a day job that’ll get me nowhere in life. At best, it’ll pay some bills, food, a social life, my car, some writing seminars and for tickets to a few races next season.
In October, I was out at a bar. I had the chance to meet the driver of the #33 car, Clint Bowyer. I told him I was a writer; he obviously assumed I was media. I tried to explain to him I wasn’t; he misunderstood me I’m sure; but that could have been because I lack the experience as a script writer/novelist when it comes to meeting important people. I do what I can. I learned something at that very moment that I put in my notes and I realized that my story was unfolding.
A few days later, I went up north to an event that Dale Earnhardt Junior would be attending. It was at Victory Junction Gang Camp for the open house to the amphitheater and corral that was built because of his financial donation. It was an amazing opportunity and he and I stood within feet of each other, only saying hello to one another. I missed my chance to introduce myself and to talk to him. I didn’t want to meet him as a fan; I wanted to meet him as a writer, a script writer; a novelist; a fiction story teller that is taking his sport; his story and writing something fun and entertaining about it. After meeting Clint Bowyer however, I took a step back and realized, I really wasn’t ready for that ‘gift.’
The gift to meet Dale Junior. I didn’t get to tell him that his biography, ‘Driver #8’ inspired me as a writer.
What else could I have done to prepare myself to meet him that day?
I kick myself to this day for not biting the bullet and meeting him as a fan.I should have given him my copy of his biography to autograph and told him he’s inspiring and left it at that.
I think that I may have missed my one and only chance to meet him personally.
After today’s sermon though, I’ve been reminding myself that I’m new at this and this is only the beginning. I do live in Cornelius, North Carolina; a whole 15 minutes from Moorseville and Charlotte. It’s not like I’m in NH anymore.
I know what I want. I know what I’m doing but because of the journey, a lot changed and a lot needs to be done for this project of mine to be completed.
I wouldn’t turn down a chance to be a NASCAR journalist/media person; or a job to work in communications or public relations; that’s not a foreign field to me. However, I need to stick to my guns and continue doing what I was doing.
This past weekend, I had intended on spending it alone so I could write my story; the first four drafts of that story are cool for me and friends but I’m not so sure it’s believable enough to sell.
I also realized that I lost my fiction writers voice. All because of the research and writing I’ve been doing for blogs and articles for me and Skirts and Scuffs.
NASCAR season is over. There are no more races until February. I am going to write an article or two for Skirts and Scuffs but I promise myself to continue to write my fiction. I’m better at that anyway.
I’m also prepared for next season.
If I continue this story, it’ll be different than the original. I must scratch it all out and start from the beginning; and anyone who knows anything about fiction story writing, whether it’s a novel or movie script knows there’s a lot of work involved when starting a new story.
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