Reality Bites by James Norton for the week of March 15

TV commercials for laundry detergents always show you how well their product takes out bloodstains.  It‚Äôs my opinion that if you have a t-shirt with bloodstains all over it, that maybe your laundry isn‚Äôt your most pressing problem

Recently, I have been mulling over whether to write a book or a screenplay (or maybe both).  I have a number of ideas for both ‚Äì some I would write on my own and others I would definitely need to collaborate with at least one other person.
The titles flash in my mind and I can’t help but laugh at them – and myself.
For now I’ll keep the titles to myself, but if you’ve ever read anything of mine before this, then you can be certain there will be a treasure-trove of autobiographical, self-absorbent, pseudo-cathartic drivel about something that’s happened in my past.

There will be a smattering of Bueller-esque type escapades and stories ala Steven Segal, which you may or may not subsequently believe, but will undoubtedly take you on quite the journey.
There may be a perspective piece regarding being a bi-polar/manic depressive or my journeys into the unknown abyss of alcoholism and drug use.  Maybe both at the same time ‚Äì that is always a feel good piece.  It worked for ‚ÄúKids‚Äù and ‚Äú13,‚Äù why not for me?
There may even be a “Crash” or “Four Rooms” type piece based on true events that have happened here locally Рinserting myself into the Tim Roth role and letting it play out any which way it can, probably not historically accurate, but definitely entertaining.
Most of the time when I write something, I try to have layers ‚Äì if you don‚Äôt get it on one level, you might on the next, or maybe all of them ‚Äì who knows ‚Äì then I segue into a type or ‚Äúmoral‚Äù or ‚Äúhigh minded‚Äù ending, where we can all be warm and fuzzy together like the end of an ‚ÄúAll in the Family‚Äù episode.  Wow, did I just date myself?
I do not have a degree in writing, nor in English, and I’ll never call myself a professional writer, but I do know that I have my moments, I understand the language in every way possible and I have a knack for being able to describe how I am feeling at any given moment.
Having said that, I enjoy writing for a number of reasons.  I enjoy being able to be creative in some way ‚Äì my job is mostly analytical and while challenging at times, it tends to be tedious and boring the rest of the time.
The goal of any writer is to take your vision and be able to convey it to some type of audience through some type of artistic medium.  Is it possible to be commercially successful and remain true to your craft?  Yes, I think so.
There are a number of writers, directors and actors I could name off the top of my head who have taken turns jumping in and out of commercial success, all the while maintaining their artistic creativity and not becoming a ‚Äúsell out‚Äù.  That‚Äôs what I aspire to become ‚Äì successful enough to provide for my life ‚Äì and be able to tell a story, any story, through any number of mediums.
I want to write poetry and novels and screenplays and short stories and maybe re-write production scripts and post production material.  Who knows where it will end up?
My suggestion to you ‚Äì if you are a parent ‚Äì and your child or children display any kind of desire to express themselves creatively, be supportive but let them pick and choose how they want to express themselves, not what you want.  Who knows what will happen or what will become of it.  The creative fire might die out long before they reach high school years, or maybe they‚Äôll get involved with the band or the drama club or even the debate team.  The point is ‚Äì don‚Äôt stifle creativity ‚Äì nurture it in yourselves, your children and even in your friends.
Two quotes pop into my head when I start commenting about life and making a statement creatively – I’ll leave it to you (the reader) to pick which one means the most to you:
‚ÄúLife is what happens to you while you‚Äôre busy making other plans‚Äù ‚Äì John Lennon and ‚ÄúLife is a succession of moments.  To live each one is to succeed‚Äù ‚Äì Corita Kent