“Fitz, will you stop with that crap?! I’ll be annoyed if I want to be!” – you
Let me explain…there is no time…let me sum up. Recently, I made friends with a person and we had mutual business needs. It made perfect sense to barter our services because it was win win. That person ended up finding a gig and in the back of my mind I like to believe I was part of that. I was sad that person is no longer involved in my business but at the same time, I met a few others via that person who have been very great contacts! So, sometimes a person moves into your life to move you in a new direction. I think most of the time the direction is positive, but sometimes it can be negative. With that in mind, I’ve only ever experienced positive changes – I will list some examples:
Toxic people moved themselves out of my life. It was not easy at the time, but it was for the best.
Mistakes were made in business with people who were not a good match and I was too trusting. But, once I was aware of the situation (and listened to my mastermind group) I was able to move on with a better understanding of the situation and learned a great deal about how to avoid similar situations in the future.
Past work experiences that set me back years both professionally and personally (emotionally, mentally) all made me who I am today and make me better at what I do. I know how to listen to people, I know how to lead people, I know how to apply ethics to every decision.
These examples are not specific to me, I am sure. YOU probably have experience with one or all of these examples. Granted, they are broad and can apply to many situations in life, but this is why I have to be amazed and not annoyed.
I could choose to be annoyed that I was taken advantage of or that because of the evils of one person, I am undergoing therapy. But, instead, I am amazed at how life works. I am amazed that life has presented me with lessons to learn from and not events to dismay me.
I have almost an entirely new set of people in my life than I did one year ago and they are much better for me. The positive people, the ones who only lift me up and move me forward are here and will always be here. The new ones are a result of my change of perspective and desire to be on the forward path. I was on a path that did loops -forward for a while, then back around, always repeating. If you find yourself there, stop and sit down and look around and really assess where you are going. I was going nowhere. Now, I am going forward and not looking back. I owe it all to my people.
Excuse me while I blather a bit about regrets. Imagine regrets are a distant land about the size of Northern Uganda – maybe Southern, I’m not sure about the exact geographic scale, but let’s say it’s bigger than your backyard. This land called Regrets has a king, his name is Fitz. He rules with an iron conscience and doesn’t let any of his subjects out. He keeps them there and it makes his country too much to manage, so he often falls apart. OK, I’ll admit that metaphoric scenario was a bit convoluted, but I think you get the picture. My point to all of this is, don’t be King Fitz (I kind of like the sound of that King part).
“Regrets, I’ve had a few
But then again, too few to mention”
Old Blue Eyes had it right. Too few to mention is a great goal. I always wondered if I really thought about my regrets, how many of them I could write down.
Dropping out of Camp Challenge, Fort Knox Kentucky.
Dropping out of New Mexico Military Institute.
Experimenting with hallucinogens.
Not taking college more seriously.
Putting my music “career” before learning.
Letting my first boss run my life.
Not recognizing my lack of self control.
Allowing my self confidence to make my decisions.
Allowing self doubt to make my decisions.
Allowing my regrets to run my life.
I think these are my top 10. There are a bunch of little ones – mostly based around drunken statements or actions. I’ve remedied that by giving up the sauce – and that has not been an easy road…but I am not doing it alone.
Take it from me, kids: regrets have the power to give you concrete boots and make you swim with the fishes. (They can really bog you down). You need to work through those regrets via therapy or some kind of meditation….something. I am doing it by writing – by BLATHERING! I think I’ll write out my demons for all the world to read. Writing helps me feel better and maybe one day I can get through my day with no regrets.
Mike Russo passed away. He was a good guy and a talented writer. We worked together on a 72 hour film competition. That is to say, we tried to work together. He had a lot of ideas and we just didn’t jive. Mike had a certain formula for making great 72 hour films, but I wanted to be different. The film we ended up making was great, we won 5th place, but it was a really gruelling process. Mike and I had a conversation after it was all done and I admitted that I should have listened to him. We both laughed about it.
Mike Russo was one of the driving forces in the early days of the Rochester Movie Makers, now the Rochester Association for Film Arts and Sciences. His scripts ended up being the first project for many a local and aspiring filmmaker.
In the summer of 2016, I had Mike on the radio to talk about his need for a kidney. Mike had to call in because he was not well enough to make the trip downtown.
Here is the interview:
I briefly contemplated getting tested to see if I was a match. But, in the end I didn’t do it. I had my reasons and I wonder if they were the right reasons. I am still here and Mike is gone. I got busy – I was always busy.
There are others who knew him better. There are others who can recall many memories with Mike. Most of our correspondence was via Facebook messenger – and I regret that. I should do a better job connecting with people on a personal and more meaningful level. You just never know what can happen. RIP Mike, I wish I knew you better.
Take it from me, kids: regrets have the power to give you concrete boots and make you swim with the fishes. (They can really bog you down). You need to work through those regrets via therapy or some kind of meditation….something. I am doing it by writing – by BLATHERING! I think I’ll write out my demons for all the world to read. Writing helps me feel better and maybe one day I can get through my day with no regrets.
Mike Russo passed away. He was a good guy and a talented writer. We worked together on a 72 hour film competition. That is to say, we tried to work together. He had a lot of ideas and we just didn’t jive. Mike had a certain formula for making great 72 hour films, but I wanted to be different. The film we ended up making was great, we won 5th place, but it was a really gruelling process. Mike and I had a conversation after it was all done and I admitted that I should have listened to him. We both laughed about it.