The Little Things

We've filmed 10 out of 12 days. We're only one weekend's worth of work away from being done with principal photography. To be honest, I'm already beginning to miss it. It's like senior year of school where you know that it's almost over and you try to take every opportunity to soak in the glory that is this experience. The more people we bring into the project the more special it becomes. It's been a total whirlwind of happy coincidences, coupled with some very real learning experiences.

I think the one lesson I'd like to impart at this particular juncture is to appreciate the little things. Our society has subconsciously trained us to look forward to major events, life-altering occurrences and the type of excitement that only happens in a script. But I've realized that many times things fall short, disappointment runs rampant and it is, in fact, the times between life events where life is lived.
Think back. Ever had a moment where you realized something wasn't all it was cracked up to be? Prom? Graduation? Getting your driver's license? Most of the time the moment doesn't live up to the hype and even if it does it is so fleeting that you may miss it as it flies by. Living life for the highs (or lows) that these instances present just sets yourself up for disappointment.

I'm not saying lower your expectations for life so you'll never be disappointed. I'm saying we should put more stock in the everyday. Don't live on autopilot. Appreciate the tiny moments that happen every single day, the ones that are so completely unexpected. These moments add up and before you know it your life is a string of these tiny moments all interconnected.
I'm a pretty firm believer that things happen for a reason and that people are brought into our life "as a blessing or a lesson". We are the culmination of our experiences and rather than regret or try to change things, we should let them happen.

Looking back, there seems to be a very deliberate series of these small moments and happy accidents that have all added up to my life.

When my sister was looking at colleges I tagged along (or was dragged along depending on who you talk to). By the time it was my turn, I had a pretty good idea where I wanted to apply. So without visiting a single campus myself, I sent out 14 applications. When I got acceptances I visited, therefore preventing any heartbreak. I was pretty sure I didn't want to go to Villanova, but I went for accepted students day. Thank goodness I did. This day started a chain of events that directly (or indirectly) led to where I am now.
The day I toured Villanova all of the campus activities had tables set up at the Student Center. One was Villanova's Student Musical Theater (or VSMT). Naturally, being the theater nerd that I am, I gravitated over to that table. Here's where I heard about Music Camp: a week before Freshman Orientation where we can move in early, do theater workshops all week and party before anyone else shows up. I'm in. And yes, I am completely aware that I have just upped my nerd status.

I met 90% of my friends from college at or through Music Camp. More importantly, the very first day of Music Camp my freshman year, I met a girl who said her roommate, like myself, was there for Musical Theater and that she was wearing blue shorts. Being my outspoken self, I happened upon a girl with blue shorts and decided to start a conversation. Turns out, wrong girl. Or maybe not, because this blue-shorted girl became my best friend. (Shout out to Janet in Seattle.)
This friendship led me to take Janet's Dad's acting class my Junior year (he was a professor at Nova). During that acting class, I heard about a pilot program for a Social Justice documentary class that they were offering the following semester, which I took. This class led me to my career in TV and film, which has inadvertently led me to my current job and my endeavors to write, produce and act in my own web series.
See what I mean? One college visit, one activities table, one conversation, it all led to life. What if I had kept to myself and never spoken to Janet with the blue shorts? What if I had decided to take painting instead of acting as my Fine Arts requirement? Or opted for a different professor? Tiny moments are the ones that my life has been built on.

Don't let tiny moments or opportunities pass you by. Maybe talking to that guy at the bar will lead to marriage, or more likely not. Or maybe, in my case, it will lead to a new beach volleyball team. You don't even have to risk that much. Believe me, I'm not a risk-taker. I wouldn't even risk a day-trip to a college I might fall in love with on the off-chance I wouldn't get in.
Just live in the moment. Be present. Put down the phone and have a conversation. Appreciate when the barista at Starbucks spells your name correctly. Or when a song comes on the radio and reminds you of someone. And don't be afraid to call that person up on the phone if you think of them.

Life is the little moments. Its the journey, not the destination.