1. B-movies.
Is "Batman Forever" the worst Batman movie ever made? More than likely, but it also depends on how you look at it. First, you have to look at. I know it is hard, but try listening to the dialogue. Mr. Freeze had too many one liners to make Arnold Schwarzengger more than happy. The ridiculous wide shots of George Clooney's butt and nipples in Batman's suit are the metaphorical death of a superhero. What kills me the most is the Bat Credit Card. It is the only credit card in the world that buys Batman's technology. This movie tried to bring back Adam West's Batman, but failed and in a way succeeded with the creation of a new genre: So Bad It's Good. The only true B-Movie I enjoy that maybe dated now is "The Blob" from 1958.
2. Old soul.
The one thing I learned about acting your age is that it cannot be done. Numbers do not have assigned behaviors, unless you are a mathematician that expects similar results. I know I act older than maybe I should, but I also am aware that I am better off because of my well-adjusted behavior. I do not want to become a follower or even a leader, despite the good intentions that label brings. I will not become my age group. Being the odd man out, the anomaly, the outsider of sorts, are ambiguous handles that can only be given to a person that accepts himself for himself without remorse. To that I say I am an old soul that knows what's up, down, and all around.
3. Sharpening pencils.
Sometimes for too long. There is this auditory and visual satisfaction of creating a fine point of lead on a number two Dixon Ticonderoga you cannot beat. Sharpening a pencil down to the eraser is an accomplishment most kids in grade school could only appreciate as well, and I did this often. The origami pattern in a long length of pencil shavings and their smell were the stuff of small tasks done well. It did not matter if the pencil needed or did not need sharpening, the ritual of fine-tuning your writing tool was a more fulfilling process than inserting miniature rods of lead into a mechanical pencil.
4. Vintage anything.
As much as others believe this is a hipster thing, taking a particular interest in history's oddities and forgotten pieces of time are no small hobby. There is something to be appreciated in antique objects that served a purpose in the past. Collecting vintage items is one thing, but breathing new life into them is another. The older the better, I say.
5. Singing in the shower.
This is one is really so no one can hear me sing or if my family can hear me, they will keep this fact to themselves. It is not that I am a gifted singer or a self-proclaimed powerhouse with pipes. I like to sing without a choir is all. A place where no one will judge you or your playlist of favorite soundtracks that explain your life.
6. Dessert.
The ice cream sandwich is Ice cream you can hold closer to your hand. It is the Oreo cookie in ice cream form. Rum cake is cake that will not get you drunk. Butterscotch, another candy that will not get you drunk. My sweet tooth is on the hunt for that next delectable treat.
7. Buying more books than I read.
It is the true sign of a bibliophile. When you buy all the books you plan to read but only read one out of the stack you add to the many other stacks on your backlog. I have to enjoy the first read as much as the last!
8. Saying something that I think is cool but is actually genuinely nerdy.
This happens with women a lot. I will try to say something clever or spark up a topic that they can relate to and it backfires without fail (or with fail?) Ladies, I swear it is not me trying to come on to you. I just figure trying too hard is what all the cool cats are doing. At least we can laugh at my expense wholeheartedly and be nerdy in the process.
9. Telling people something I just learned, getting them to think.
Every TED talk, any educational program or documentary I have seen turns me into a transceiver for anyone who does not ask. I get the urge to share my wealth of knowledge and it's just not fair if they do not care enough as I do.
10. Walking around the house naked when no one is around.
The feeling of being free from the chains that are your clothes is hard to explain. Think of it this way: remember that beautiful, warm and windy day? That is what being naked at home feels like, with all the elements of Mother Nature knowing you too well. Just be thankful it is not a glass house.
Guilty pleasures are just as normal as they are weird.
5 Respectful And Empowering Ways To Handle Rejection
Not everyone will like you, but not everyone has to.
You work hard, you do the right thing, and the inevitable happens. Someone comes along and begins to give you a backhanded compliment, or if you have the misfortune, a backhanded comment. You are left with a bad taste in your mouth and your day starts to turn sour. When people belittle you and your efforts, here are five respectful and empowering ways to sweeten those moments of rejection.
1. Never give someone a reason to not like you.
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People will say what they want and think what they want, no matter the subject or person of choice. It will not matter who you are or what you do, someone or another manages to pay you their two cents. You have to remember, you did not give them reasons to justify their words or actions towards you. These people who exhibit unwarranted thoughts about you are just another drop in the ocean. They do not define your good intentions or self-worth. They are not for you and you need not place any investigation or worry into the mystery of why they do not like you. You do not have to reason with them any further. Simply look forward to the people who care to be curious and open-minded about you.
2. Kill them with kindness.
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The dead push up daisies, but you plant the seed. Some people will smile proudly knowing they have said something cruel or disheartening to get a rise out of you but look at this as an opportunity. Every moment is a chance for you to choose how you react. Ten percent of life is what happens to you, it is out of your control. Ninety percent of life is what you do about it. Use your words to encourage, not discourage, civil discourse. Say what matters and say it with an honest purpose. State your case and let them respond how they will; you cannot control others, but you can control yourself. Be a good example others have yet to show themselves.
3. Turn the "No's" into a "Yes."
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The poet Sylvia Plath had this to say about rejection: "I love my rejection slips. They show me I try." She was talking about the process of writing literary submissions for publication, but her attitude still stands. This is the mindset it takes to find the success you want out of life. Despite all the people that deny you and your work, there are people that see potential and promise in you. It does not matter how many people say "No" to you. What does matter is the number of times you can get back to work and look forward to that one "Yes." You are working for the "Yes's" in your life. Forget the dream-killers and eye-rollers, they lack the hope and drive you have in what you do. They do not do what you do and do not do it like you do. For every "No" there is a "Yes."
4. Let your work speak for you.
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Sometimes no matter how endearing your elevator pitch sounds or how carefully crafted your resume is, people still find fault where there might not even be any. Your accomplishments are your own and that is something to take pride in. Of course, the right amount of pride separates you from the rest and for the better. Pride and confidence must not become virtues or vices that exceed who you are. The work you put out is an extension of who you are and no one can take that away from you. Work speaks for itself and yourself best, so focus on your goals and let your results stand in for your words people did not value. Your best is rarely seen at the moment of inspiration, usually after the final stroke of the brush has wet the canvas. It is your goal to show that stalwart work ethic in good times and in bad.
5. Your process will protect you.
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Keep working. Rule out the distractions and the doubts, the fears, and the flippant fools. Know that your process will save you in trying times. Work against all odds. At some point, things turn even and add up, but you have to be dedicated and diligent. Your sights are seen only through your eyes and your need is to show others what you see. Until then, your skill, your talent, will be honed with consistency. Show up to your work even when you have not been hit with inspiration. The Kodak moment will present itself through your process. Due diligence is the price of success. Eyes on the prize and nose to the grindstone. No one knows your work better than you.
Be the trampoline that bends the will of gravity-like rejection long enough until you can fly.