the birthday

Yesterday was my 19th birthday, and it was one of the best days of my life.

Spending time with some of my best friends, getting a tour of where I'm going to live in the future and blowing $21 on my first time playing 21, is what made it such a great day. Even though I was up $50 and went down to -$21 it was still a great night. The way I see it, is that the free 12 oz. bottle of water I got at the casino cost me $21. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I had really given up all hope that the person who visited yesterday was going to come, but I turned out to be wrong. And I am very happy I was. I cannot describe it in words and probably never will be able to.

This has the potential to be one of the best weekends of my life. Although I'm not doing that much right now (besides writing this) it has been great. Got to spend time with people I care about yesterday and today my parents and brother came to visit. That was an interesting experience to say the least, and that's all I'm going to say about that besides from that they are still their same old selves.

Saw Gran Torino today. Great movie, added it to my list of favorite movies on facebook. Too bad it'll probably be Clint's last film as an actor, but I guess it was kind of fitting the way his character came around full circle. In my opinion Walt Kowalski is one of his best characters in his career (up there with Dirty Harry, William Munny, and nearly every other character he's played). It's really hard to believe he never won an acting Oscar, and now since I've seen the film, I'm really pissed at the Academy for now recognizing Gran Torino at this years awards. If I ever make it in the film industry I have to come to the realization that awards aren't everything and I'm getting closer and closer to that point. I don't want to make movies for the awards. I want to make them to entertain people. To let them escape the problems of their lives for a few hours and simply enjoy themselves.

When I think about things like this I start to realize that I have been watching films pretty much since my birth whether it be the Disney movies that so many children grew up on, or the others early on like Speed, Die Hard, Jurassic Park, The Fugitive, and oh so many more. Like I was saying, when I think about things like this it makes me think that my purpose is to do these things, to make films and entertain people. Offer people an escape where they can not worry about the problems of their lives for a few short hours. Film has been a part of my life for so long, and it is one of the few certainties I have in this world that they always will be. I feel like I know these people and that they are part of the family. Hell, the majority of people I look up to are directors, writers, actors or characters the actors play. Whether it be Mr. Eastwood, Mr. Willis, Mr. Ford, Mr. Spielberg, Mr. Cruise, Mr. Damon, Mr. Pitt, Mr. Nolan, Mr. Bale, or the late Mr. Newman; each name can fill in the blank of what I aspire to be.

Wow, this post certainly went a different route than I thought it would when it started, but nevertheless these are the things I care about, and think about on my birthday weekend. I am 19 now, that means I am one year closer to whatever the future holds...

...I just don't know what it is yet