Glacier National Park 2010

Sunday, June 23, 2013

A New Adventure

Its been such a busy summer so far....and looks as if the hectic pace will continue.  I spent a lovely three days relaxing in Mobile with my bestie...lots of laughter, a few tears....when two people have been people have been friends as long as we have, there are lots of memories to talk about and relive.  Most of them have been very good but, as with life, there are sad, heart wrenching times as well. I'm just grateful to have someone in my life who sometimes knows me better than I know myself.

I am at that certain age when my past is much, much longer than my future will be.  When one gets to this point it is easy to think the time for new adventures is coming to a close.  As a youngster, one feels invincible....there isn't anything one can't do! But as one ages and the body...and mind...slow down...........it becomes easier to simply think of the things not done, not tried. This week I found that the old saying about old dogs and new tricks may not necessarily be true!

A couple of weeks ago I received an e-mail asking me if I might be interested in auditioning for a part in a short film. The director had seen my work in a stage production several years ago and thought I might be right for a role.  Having never done any film work, I was a bit hesitant. I mean, after all I knew nothing about movie making! But the actor in me said, "give it a shot!" So I said sure I'd like to audition. Almost immediately I was assailed with a case of nerves and doubts about my acting abilities......negative self-esteem rearing its nasty head again. But I confronted my dragon of doubt and decided this would be an excellent learning experience. After all, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I was emailed the sides....movie lingo....I needed to be familiar with for the screen test....more movie lingo.  MoMe helped me learn the lines....and I dug into the whys and how's of who this character was, trying to bring her to life....to make her real, not just words on a page. Want to know a little secret? Bringing her to life brought ME to life!

Long story short.....I auditioned for two roles actually....and then waited. I'm not certain how many people actually read for the role. It doesn't really matter. The next day I received a phone call asking if I would take the role of the female lead! Would I?!?! To say I was overcome with emotions is an understatement...as soon as I hung up the phone I burst into tears.  Although I had told myself that just being asked to audition was enough, deep inside I wanted that part desperately.

For me, it was a validation of sorts. Those who know me understand how much I love acting....living where I do hasn't given me many opportunities to pursue that love....but when opportunities arose I took them.....didn't matter if I was the lead or someone in a crowd scene....I gave it my all!

To be chosen for this film said, you may be older but you still have the ability to grow and learn and experience new things! And I needed to be assured of that, especially at this moment in my life. This old dog still has a few tricks to learn!

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