The Meaning of a Name

Names are given to everyone at birth and whether they like it or not it will always bee something they have no control over in their life. It is that name that people will be addressing you for the rest of your life and it is extremely crucial to make the effort of making sense of it. I made the decision a very long time ago that if I was going to have the world call me by my name I must first understand it’s meaning to me. If this task could not be accomplished, my name would merely be a title laid upon me and would be giving away my sense of pride and glory away to someone else. It is for this reason that I made it a necessity to understand what each of them meant to me and to do my best to incorporate it into my life. This to me is the very first step anyone should take in a long journey of understanding life’s works and meanings.

A Dream Passed Down

My life is a testament to the power of dreams. Unlike members of my family who saw their dreams fall to the evils of drugs, alcohol and unexpected realities, I have resolved to allow my dreams of becoming an entertainer to flourish. That determination stems from my uncle always telling me “One of these days you will star in my movie, I promise you.” This statement inspired my admiration for the artistry of acting. The thought of being on stage in a play or on a movie set sparked a flare in my heart that is indescribable.

As I grew older, I came to realize that my uncle was not a director and that the promises of casting me in his films were just wishful thinking on the part of a man who had to compensate for his lost hopes—for his elusive dream. I was not discouraged by this realization. Instead I used my uncle’s stories as a source of hope and determination that would lead me on the path to making my dreams a reality. I know that studying theater in college will be a huge stride toward achieving my goal as I prepare to dedicate my college life to acting. It takes courage to devote oneself to a craft rather than a career and to live with uncertainty. I have developed strong faith and as long as there is a one percent possibility of being a success in the business, then I have a chance.

My love of acting was purely theoretical until I became involved with theatre and drama during my freshman year of high school. I had been involved in soccer and baseball but I knew that these sports were not my passion – that they did not bring out the kind of joy and willingness to commit myself to them as drama did. I am a devout student of acting, as is evident by my tireless work in theatre and through the great training and experience I have received as an actor. I have been in seven theatrical productions, done voice over work for Gottschalks in addition to Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, and filmed a PSA for foster children across America.

I know that acting is my career; my life’s calling. It is a great feeling on stage to be able to release your soul—to go crazy—and not worry about what others think in your normal life. Working on stage is an invitation to get into a character’s skin and give a genuine, sometimes wild, performance. More than the joy of being on stage, I appreciate acting for the immense joy it brings to children and adults who become engaged with the plays. Their laughter at a well-timed comedic scene and their gasp and at an emotional and suspenseful scene is something I consider to be a blessing. The ability to use my talent to give people an escape from their burdens is very fulfilling. I must admit that my love of acting is not based solely on selfless reasons because being a performer allows me to step away from my often stressful life and to step into the world of another. The liberating feeling I have after I finish a performance is proof positive that acting is more than just a major to me—it is my purpose.

I always think about my uncle, whose promises have guided me through life, giving me the strength and bravery to complete a dream that began with my grandfather two generations ago. Hopefully, one day my dreams will no longer be a fantasy but rather a reality, and that one day my uncle will see his dreams come true through me.

I am for the Masses

I speak on behalf of my teenage brothers, wherever you may be: in life's peril in Iraq, fighting to be Madonna's next child in Africa, or living the simple life. I strongly believe the teenage years is a universal phenomenon no matter your beliefs or how you were raised. As I write down some of the greatest most intriguing moments--good or bad--of my life both in the past and yet to come i hope i can connect to my readers in some level. I am your friend and as your life goes through the same ups and downs, twist and turns as mine, i will always be your one universal constant.

Before i began my postings, I looked into major biographical, autobiographical, and memoir books that were successes .There have been several books published about the lives of families or sometimes about certain individuals like The Grapes of Wrath, which depicts the life of a family struggling through the great depression, and the Diary of Anne Frank, the story of a young Jewish girl during the Holocaust. I then thought about what these two books had in common. They both told the story about people who were suffering during major events in the history of the World. I thought about this. I am a teenager, who has not yet seen life at its fullest, born into a middle-class family, therefore have never suffered from being poor or being homeless, nor have I ever had to hide from people in order to save my life. As a matter of fact I sit on my but most of the time in my couch in my house watching TV. Yeah! This piece of literature that I am trying to write is sure to be a hit, right? I then began to think deeper. For so long, the average reader has been so accustomed to reading biographies and autobiographies about people who have suffered and who have either stayed that way and died or who have somehow roes above to become some very important person. So why not turn the tables for a chance and give a boy, who’s only read probably a total of fifteen books all the way through, who’s got the slightest bit of talent in the art of writing, an opportunity to talk about his life, desires, beliefs, and dreams, and a chance to show the world something new.

My Purpose

I have always wanted to write down the events of my life on paper, believing that it would be worth the effort. Now you may be thinking, why don’t you buy a .99 cents notebook at the corner grocery store idiot and just begin a diary or just write one of those papers about yourself you are asked to write at the beginning of every school year and leave it at that. But your biggest question must be, why must you waste my time reading about a boy who nobody even knows? My answer to that is your right. I am no A list celebrity making big money in the heart of Hollywood, California nor am I an MVP athlete in the pros. Heck, I am not even one of those people who have suffered immensely and been through physical or mental abuse in their child hood and in the end go on to be very prominent in their profession and make lots of money. I am an 18 year old boy whose worst subject in school is English and does not even like to read books. Where I am coming from, I am an idiot. An American boy trying to write a blog on himself is not even anywhere near the end of it and hoping that anybody will even bother to read it is a long shot. The one thing to back me up is something my English teacher told me a very long time ago, “Everybody has an interesting life story; it is only a matter of how you write it.” I was comforted when I first heard this and then I came back to reality. My worst grade in school is English, I get C’s and D’s on my vocabulary, spelling and grammar tests, and then I thought sarcastically I am more than fit to write this story of man. However negative I may be, I must stand up for myself and say that what I do have on my side is an inspiration, dream, love and a passion to write this story.