Hey there, Slugger!

Opinions are an interesting thing. Here's the thing. I don't mind what people think of me. However, I do like to know for sure what it is, one way or the other.

The past few weeks have been a roller coaster during Scarlet Pimpernel rehearsal. We have been moving fairly fast, and things have been going well for the most part. That's normal. That's not the roller coaster. That comes in the personal interactions with the other actors. I'm 19, and one of the youngest in the cast. Admittedly, I look to be one of the older people in the cast. People have very different reactions when they discover that I am, in fact, only 19. Everyone is surprised. That's a generic reaction from everyone. It's how they act with the information after that that's interesting. Most people go straight for the obvious, "When are you leaving on your mission?" I don't mind that, because I am leaving soon. (hopefully) What bothers me is the change between treating me like an equal, and an adult, and then ten minutes later, I'm back to being a child, and calling me things like Slugger.

Friends, I am 19. Maybe I'm younger than you, but that doesn't mean I'm not an adult. I have graduated from High School, I have a full time job, I'm an Elder in my Church. I'm responsible, I'm polite, I'm a well rounded adult. I'm actually a pretty good guy, but no one bothers getting to know me because in their eyes, I'm just a child. There is also a pretty big group that doesn't bother getting to know me because I'll be gone in a few months. What's the point to making a new friend if they are just leaving, right?!

But, I rant. Again. And hey, why not? This is partly why I started this blog. So I can express how I feel, in a way that won't get me in trouble, or have people judge me too harshly. I won't make and promises, but I'll try to have my next post be a little more lighthearted.

-Tenacious Tenor

The Thanks-mas Break

What, you ask, is the Thanks-mas Break? That is the one month space between Thanksgiving, and Christmas. It's that time where we have already started to feel the holiday spirit, but then there is this huge gap. What do we do with it? How do we survive that month still loving the holidays? I'll tell you.

Within the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas, you must do these things. MUST.

1. Have a snowball fight
2. Make a snow angel
3. Bake cookies (the kind of cookie doesn't matter, but I suggest Snicker-doodles)
4. Read about the birth of Christ (if you're not religious, read a decent Christmas story)
5. Watch all 3 Home Alone movies
6. Put up a Christmas tree. Small, big, real or fake. Doesn't matter.
7. Go somewhere and see Christmas lights, and lots of them. If you live in or near Salt Lake, Temple Square is amazing. If not, I'm sure you can find something.
8. Go caroling. I don't care if you think you can't sing. It'll brighten your day, and the day of the people you carol to!
9. Go sledding
10. Eat way too much of your favorite holiday snack, and then feel guilty the next morning.
11. Attend a holiday concert of some sort
12. Serve someone in your community
13. Wrap at least one present really nicely. However you wrap your others, make one super awesome. It's fun, I promise.
14. Tell your family that you love them. At least once.
15. LISTEN TO CHRISTMAS MUSIC!!!!! It simply puts a smile on your face, and makes everything better.

Well, these are a few suggestions to feel the Holiday spirit! Leave a comment if you have more suggestions, or just go enjoy your Thanks-mas break! Happy Holidays everyone! (I totally say Merry Christmas, but it's a little early for that)

-Tenacious Tenor

Love

Today is a very weird day. I've been thinking alot, mostly about my future. Before I get into this post, I know. I know my focus should be elsewhere, and it is.  But my brain wanders, and I'm done fighting my brain when it wanders. It's simpler to just control the wander than to cut it off entirely.

So over the last few weeks, I have let my brain wander. Mostly to love. That's right. Love. I know, I'm preparing for a mission, and shouldn't be concerning myself with the topic of love right now. But here I go anyway.

Being single, sucks. No matter what anyone tells you, they are lying. It truly is not a fun thing. Don't get me wrong, I'm not gonna go around looking for a relationship just because being single is lousy. I don't want a relationship right now either, but it doesn't make it any easier to be single. Every morning you get up, and you face the world alone. You get up knowing that your decisions, while they may affect others, ultimately matter to you, and you alone. One of my favorite movies in the world is Newsies. In that movie, Jack Kelly asks a very deep and profound question. This may not be exact, but its basically this. "All my life, I've never had it matter to anyone whether I stay or whether I go. Now I'm not saying it should matter to you, but what I'm saying is, well, does it? Matter?" Jack finds what we all hope for. He finds someone who he matters to. Let me preface all of this with this statement. I know my family loves me, and I know I matter to them. This is different.

When you are in love, you care about someone more than you care about yourself. Whether it's Jack staying in New York because he finally has a reason to stay, or Peter Parker staying away from Gwen Stacy because he wants her to be safe, it's the same. It's love that drives us to make all of our decisions. I have been in love. It wasn't forever, and it wasn't the only love I will ever feel, but it was real. And even though it didn't work out, I remember it. And it makes it hard to be single. Knowing that you can feel something so much better than the thrill of a fun date or flirting with a new friend, it makes it a little harder to do. When you are in a relationship, and you love someone, you always have someone to be there for you. Even in hard times, someone always has your back. You always have a teammate. You have someone to love all the time.

Ben Rector has a song called "Wanna Be Loved", and one of my favorite lines in the entire song says 'Every move, leads right back to our need for acceptance, our fear of rejection'. I think this is true. We just want to be happy, and loving someone makes us happy. I'm different from the typical teenage guy who is afraid of commitment and doesn't want marriage. It's weird, but sometimes I feel like my life isn't complete, and won't be until I have a beautiful wife and kids.

Well, this has been my rant for the day, mostly because today more than anything, I want to be in love. I'm gonna finish this post with a quote from my best friend.

"I'm good at being single, but I was made to be in love." -Taylor Hill

-Tenacious Tenor

Talking to Teej

I'm starting this post without a title. I'm not really sure where my thoughts are going, but I know I want them to go somewhere. My Dad has suggested a few times that I should write things down as if I were talking to Taylor. (my best friend) So tonight, here goes. 

Teej, this week has been crazy. Last Wednesday at rehearsal, I was talking to my director and he mentioned the upcoming season for the theatre. Now, he didn't tell me what it was, nor did I ask, because it was supposed to be some big secret. I knew when I would find out, and I was excited for it, but the realization came that I would have to make a choice really soon. My friend Andrea is directing the Dickens Festival downtown, and I had expressed interest in doing that with her. She had told me that she would love to have me, and I was really looking forward to it. The problem here was that I wouldn't be able to do the Dickens festival AND the first show of the next season. I would only be able to do one. You know I suck with decisions, and this one was worse. Auditions for Dickens Festival were Saturday morning, and I wouldn’t find out what the first show was until Saturday night. Seriously man?!? How am I supposed to make this uninformed decision?!? Augh. Most people I talked to thought I was making a big deal out of nothing, but I’ve really been thinking about this a lot. When I get home, I’m gonna want to go to college, but the problem is my grades. They suck. My grades aren’t good enough to get me scholarships, and maybe not even good enough to get me into a good school at all, so I need a second plan. My backup has always been acting. Im good at it, and I know it could get me scholarships. I don’t want to do it for a living, but I figure why not use my resources to get a good education right? So lately I’ve been trying to beef up my acting resume with really good things. Things that will get noticed. Now, doing the Dickens Festival would look good, and will be noticed, sure. But the problem I was running into is I wasn’t really sure which would look better and get more attention. And I couldn’t be sure of that until I knew what the first show was for the next season. Unfortunately, no one really knows what to say to someone in my situation. (I’ve been getting that a lot lately) No one can just tell me what to do, because I have to make the decision myself. But they can’t just tell me the show so that I can make my decision. That wouldn’t be right.

I’d been talking to Jake (director of Hello Dolly! And artistic director for the theatre) and Andrea, and they were both trying to help, and telling me everything they could, but I wasn’t getting anywhere. Jake could tell me that it would be good for my resume, and there are several large parts that I could play. He also told me he would cast me in another show if I auditioned, which was a huge compliment! Andrea was super understanding and kept telling me that the decision was really easy, but I had to make it myself. (Andrea is on the board at The Empress so she knew the first show also) I could tell that they wanted to help, but it wasn’t going anywhere. The thing that ended up helping the most was Andrea telling me that I could come and audition at callbacks instead of the originals if I wanted to. This helped, making it so my decision could be made about twelve hours later than expected.

Saturday was the Gala. Dude, I looked fly. I dressed up really nice, and went out and had a great time. It made the night a little easier to be in a nice tuxedo and out with good friends. Obviously the decision was still weighing on me, but the setting definitely did a good job of distracting me. So when I got there, Andrea found me and we went and sat with her husband and some other friends from the theatre and had a really nice dinner together. When the moment came for the announcement of the next season, I was freaking out. I did my best to hide it, but my hands were shaking, I couldn’t really speak, I just sat there hoping things would be easier in a few minutes. And they were. Jake got up and announced that the first show of the 2013 season was The Scarlet Pimpernel. I love that show. There are a lot of parts I could play, a few I would kill for, and the music is amazing. Fantastic show. My decision was made. While the Dickens Festival would be nice on my resume, Scarlet would definitely look better. Especially if I somehow managed to land a lead. I just looked over at Andrea and said “Sorry.” She laughed and said it was okay. She knew my decision all along, she just couldn’t tell me what it was. The rest of the night was amazing, and by the end of the night, Andrea and I were talking about audition pieces I could use for my Scarlet Pimpernel audition. Sometimes she is so good to me I feel guilty. Seriously. Not an hour earlier, I told her that I wouldn’t be auditioning for her show because something better came up, and she is still offering and willing to help me with my audition. What an awesome friend.

Then came the next big thing this week. I feel like if I’m not doing the Dickens Festival, it better be worth the trouble. So I have a goal. This is a lofty goal, but then again, so is college. So I’ve gotta try anyway.

My goal is to prepare an audition piece so amazing, so moving, and so right for this role, that when I stand in front of the directors and sing it, they will be so amazed that they have no choice but to give me the lead.

I’ve also come to realize that Jake being the director for both my current, and upcoming show could be a large advantage, or a large disadvantage. If he likes what I’m doing, he is more likely to cast me as a lead in the next show I do with him, but if not, I’m pretty much screwed. So in my current show, I’ve been giving 100%, but I decided maybe it was time to step it up a little. 120%, here I come. Let me tell you, 120% is hard. It’s a lot of work, and it’s all the time. But it’s worth it. I go home after rehearsal not only feeling better about my chances with Scarlet Pimpernel, but also about Hello Dolly!

So, back to the audition piece. ANOTHER DECISION! Ugh. At least this time I had help. Andrea and I got together and went through piece after piece after piece. My sight reading sucks, and that made it an adventure, and a really good laugh, but when we really got down to it, there were tons of different options. You never realize how many male pieces there are in musical theatre until you need just one. We ended up narrowing it down to four great options.

Tell my Father- Civil War

Letting Go- Jekyll and Hyde

No More- Into the Woods

Dispensable- Edges

(if you haven’t heard any of these songs, go  look it up. It’ll be worth your time. Promise.

The next day, we got together again and went through each of them, weighed Pros and Cons, picked a section I would use from each if I were to use the song, had Kirk (Andrea’s husband) listen to each, and decided we needed more people. So we invited a few friends over to listen. My friend Alisa, and Andrea’s sister Michelle. We told them what show I was auditioning for, what part I’m hoping for, and I didn’t really mention how much this means to me, but I hope the fact that I’m working on an audition piece a month in advance got that point across. We invited these two specifically, because of their background, and objective judging skills. Alisa has played several leads, has a wonderful voice, and spent a few years as a Disney Princess in DisneyWorld. She tells me all the time when I’m flat, or doing something weird, and I love it! Frank honesty helps me fix things I can’t see myself. Michelle has a great reputation from all the people that have met her. Every time her name is mentioned by family or friends, I learn a little more about the range of her talent. She has played many leading roles, including the female lead from Scarlet Pimpernel, has an amazing voice, and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. (although I’m pretty sure that one is just a Casdorph thing)

So. With these two ladies over, and ready to judge me, I sang each option a few times, doing different sections from each, and explaining what Andrea and I thought was good and bad about each. Alisa said that she liked No More, and Tell my Father, and Michelle gave me what I’m pretty sure was a compliment, but even if it’s not, I’m totally taking it that way. She told me that she and Andrea had grown up on Into the Woods, and that when I told her I would be trying No More, she didn’t even think it was an option, and then I started singing it, and she changed her mind. It became very clear that if I could make that impact with this song, it was the one I should be singing. Decision made.

I will be auditioning with No More, from Into the Woods. It’s a great song, and I hope I’m doing it justice. I have a month to get it right, and I hope it’s worth the effort. Well, it’s getting late, and if I’m gonna be in shape for this show, I need to run in the morning. I miss you man. I hope things in Canada are great! Can’t wait to be out in the field myself. See you in two.

Also, for all of you out there that aren't Taylor, thanks for reading anyway. 

-Tenacious Tenor 

It Only Takes A Moment

I recently decided to dive back into the theatre world, and apparently my dive was headfirst. Within the last two weeks, I have had several auditions, all of which went very well, one of which earned me a lead in The Empress Theatre's upcoming production of Hello Dolly! Rehearsals have already started, and we have gotten into the full swing. Almost simultaneously, I had a few days off work that I spent helping a dear friend while she is directing another show that The Empress is working on. I have had my share of moments in the past few weeks, and let me tell you, its true what they say. It Only Takes A Moment.

First Moment- I went to audition for The Desert Star Playhouse the same night that my best friend in the world was being set apart for his mission. This made for a complicated evening. I had my audition scheduled for 6:35 p.m., and like any sensible person does, I showed up a little early. While waiting, the artistic director of the theatre came out to bring me in for my audition, when another person waiting said they had to go into work unexpectedly, and asked if there was any way they could go first. I had time, so I offered my slot. First moment. That moment, and the look the director gave me said she liked me. I was golden. I had started off in good standing before I even got on stage. A moment of Triumph. Score.

Second Moment- I got into my audition, and all went splendidly. A few mishaps here and there, but overall a fantastic audition, and we were all able to laugh off the mistakes. They asked me a few questions, and I did my best to give both an honest and acceptable answer to each, and I seemed to do fairly well. They talked among themselves, and turned to me with the question I had been hoping for. It's what everyone hopes for.
"How would you feel about coming in for a callback?"
This was moment number two. This was it. I have worked, and practiced, and performed my butt off to be good enough for this. I was standing in a professional theatre in front of the artistic director and technical director, and they wanted me. They liked what they saw, and were willing to give me a chance. A moment of pure Exhilaration. Any future with this theatre depended on my answer.

And then came moment number three.

Third Moment- I answered. Wrong. I remembered that the callbacks were the same night, in two hours. You guessed it. Same time as Taylor's setting apart. That was not what they wanted to hear. I let them know I was dedicated to my friend, and wasn't going to change that for anything, and they didn't appreciate that. They had a decision to make, and they made it. "In that case, don't worry about it." There it was. The third moment in the making. So many thoughts ran through my head. This is it? All the interest is suddenly gone? I was so excited not ten seconds earlier, and now I wondered why. If this is what the theatre world is like, did I really want this? I love acting, and singing, and making people smile, but if my dedication to a friend doesn't mean anything, is it worth it? A moment of Doubt.

Fourth Moment- The next night, I had another audition, this time for The Empress Theatre in good ole' Magna. I went into that audition with very mixed feelings. I felt prideful. In my mind, I was better than this. I was good enough for a professional theatre, and here I am instead. I felt attraction. I wanted this role, and this show, but I didn't know why. I felt nostalgic. I had made alot of friends the last time I did a production at this theatre, and being there brought back alot of fun memories.
I was called in, and sent to my mark in the middle of the stage, where I waited while the director looked over my resume and made some notes. Then it came. My fourth moment. This director looked up at me, and just smiled. He was genuinely happy to be there. He loved doing what he does. I realized how stupid I had been for thinking that I was better than this place. This place was amazing. It had memories, it had smiles, and it had theatre. What else did I need? A moment of Realization.

Fifth Moment- I didn't have work for a few days this last week, and I knew I was going to be bored, so I decided to find something to do. My friend Andrea is directing The Empress' production of Beauty and The Beast Jr., so I texted her and asked her if she could use some extra hands the next few days. She gladly accepted my offer of help and told me when to be there. The next morning I showed up and soon realized how much she really had on her plate. 67 kids, ranging from 7-18. Wow. At several points I was worried I would have to step in and help control them when things got out of hand, but she handled it. All day. I soon came to find that I was mostly there as moral support, and someone to tease a little. I was okay with both of those things, and stepped up into each role. But the whole day I couldn't help but sit back in wonder. The fifth moment came at the end of that first day when she sent all the kids home, and still had a smile on her face.
Andrea, I know you're reading this, and this moment was for you. A moment of Admiration. I really admire your dedication and drive.

Sixth and Final Moment (for this week)- This one. Im sitting here at a computer, writing more than I have in a very long time, and realizing how much I have gone through, and how much I have learned in the past few weeks. I have had good nights, and bad ones. Long days, and eternal ones. Every once in a while I will try and call my best friend only to realize I can't, and just have to remind myself it's all for good reasons, and I'll be okay. That's been the hardest part so far. I want to talk to him, but he's not around. Didn't really think about how hard this would be until I got there. Tonight is a moment all on it's own. A moment of Reflection.

I know the song says "It Only Takes a Moment, to be Loved a Whole Life Long.", but I would like to make a small change.

It only takes a moment, to be changed a whole life long. Don't let the moments slip by.

-Tenacious Tenor

A Change

I was on the phone with my Dad today. We talked for a few minutes about how I was starting to feel bored. I want a change in my life. I expressed this, and of course he asked he obvious question. "What do you want to change?" I don't know. I wish I did.

Sometimes I feel this way, and it's a small change. Get a haircut, maybe a new jacket. Sometimes it's big, a new job. But I can always recognize the feeling of a change coming. Maybe that's where the real mystery comes in. It's not so much that I want a change, it's that I feel one coming, and have learned to look forward to it, whether or not I know it's good.

The more I think about it, the more I know what the change is. My best friend is leaving in four days. Scary right? Not really. He will be gone for two years, but I probably won't see him for closer to three. Why is that not scary? Because I know it's right. But it will be a huge change nonetheless. But more on that tomorrow.

People have this silly notion that change is scary or bad, but I feel differently. To me, change is simply inevitable. It's going to happen. And if I can't a change that, what gives me the idea I can change anything else about it?

Exactly. I can't. So I might as well embrace it.

Come on change, I'm ready for you.

-Tenacious Tenor

ADD

So I wrote this post a couple months ago, and I guess I never published it. Oops. Lol


To answer the question that is now in everyone's mind, is Logan ADD?

I don't know. Alot of the time I feel like I am. I have trouble concentrating on one thing at a time. My mind wanders incessantly, and sometimes I think that's the reason I don't sleep at night.

If I were diagnosed, would that change anything? Not really. I would still have trouble focusing, I would still need something to do with my hands all the time. But somehow, it would make it easier. Easier knowing there is a reason. Easier knowing I'm not the only one who feels this way. Easier knowing that I might pass it onto my kids, knowing to look for warning signs in them. Easier just knowing.

I'm 19 years old, and I am a child. I jump from point to point in my mind without a path to follow as to how I got there. When talking with me, conversations are seemingly random, but I promise. I am always paying attention. Even if I tried, I'm not sure I could NOT pay attention. My mind follows everything around me. I couldn't work for about ten minutes yesterday because a fly was in the room. For my mind, that is a distraction every three seconds or so. Every time I hear or see the fly, my mind drops what it was thinking about. It immediately jumps to the fly. Where is it? How did it get here? Why won't it leave?

I have found the worst times for my mind are when I'm working. I have a routine at work. A routine very very simple to follow. Unfortunately, that leaves my body on auto-pilot, and my mind free to wander. My mom was off work yesterday, and got a small sampling of how seemingly random my train of thought is. I would text her things with no explanation, simply because it was what I was thinking of. Sometimes I have no explanation myself. I have to ask myself, "Why did you think of that?" and more often then not, the answer is simple. I have no clue.

So, during this time at work, I find small creative outlets.

I sing. That lasts about a song.

I make design plans in my head. I usually come up with one or two before my mind jumps again.

I organize paintball games. Those are always fun, but don't take enough energy.

More recently, I make stories out of remembered dreams. This one might be the book I have been waiting for.

And then, I don't know what to do. I get ridiculously bored, so I start the cycle over again. But it never goes anywhere. There is no end result. I need a destination. A goal. A 'point B' if you will.

So this is my challenge to you. If you read this post, I want you to think of a point B for my mind to concentrate on during the day. I need creativity, but I need results of the creativity for my mind to be satisfied. Comment or email, or text. Let me know what you think I could use to make my day less boring. Thanks! :)

Being the Bad Guy

Last night was alot of fun. After the show last night, Skyler, Perry and I went over to the lovely Fife home to spend some time with some of our favorite people in the world. Kirk was kind enough to grace us with his presence for a great game of Killer Bunnies. Throughout the course of the game, we had various discussions on numerous topics. at one point however, Perry brought up a question about an upcoming show. In essence, his question was what role he should try to perform in this show, whether it would be a managing position over the show, or acting in the show. I however, saw this as a perfect opportunity to cover up the fact that I don't really know much about musical theatre, and slipped in a quick question of what the show was about.

I got a very detailed explanation of the show, and I feel like I wouldn't even have to see the show and I could tell you all what it is about. One part of the explanation did however stick out to me. The character description given to me of a Mr. Bill Sikes. I took the liberty of looking up a description of him this morning, and this is what I found.

He is one of Dickens's most vicious characters and a very strong force in the novel when it comes to having control over somebody or harming others. He is portrayed as a rough and barbaric man. He is a career criminal associated with Fagin, and an eventual murderer. He is very violent and aggressive, prone to sudden bursts of extreme behaviour. He owns a bull terrier named Bull's Eye, whom he beats until the dog needs stitches.

Dickens describes his first appearance:

The man who growled out these words, was a stoutly-built fellow of about five-and-thirty, in a black velveteen coat, very soiled drab breeches, lace-up half boots, and grey cotton stockings which enclosed a bulky pair of legs, with large swelling calves—the kind of legs, which in such costume, always look in an unfinished and incomplete state without a set of fetters to garnish them. He had a brown hat on his head, and a dirty belcher handkerchief round his neck: with the long frayed ends of which he smeared the beer from his face as he spoke. He disclosed, when he had done so, a broad heavy countenance with a beard of three weeks' growth, and two scowling eyes; one of which displayed various parti-coloured symptoms of having been recently damaged by a blow.[1]

His prostitute girlfriend Nancy tolerates his violent and lawless behaviour, perhaps because she, being a thief since the age of six, needs stability in her life, and because she believes that she loves him. However when he thinks Nancy has betrayed him, Sikes viciously murders her. The murder is especially gruesome and one of the most graphic, frightening scenes Dickens ever wrote. In the end a mob hounds him through the streets of London until he hangs himself while trying to escape. It is left ambiguous as to whether or not this was intentional.

Sikes has almost no redeeming qualities, although Dickens does give him some shading: at the robbery in the countryside, Sikes, rather than leave Oliver at the scene of his botched burglary of Rose Maylie's house, picks him up and runs with him as far as he can. This, however, was as much for his own self-preservation, as he eventually does abandon the seriously wounded boy and shows absolutely no remorse about doing so. After he brutally beats Nancy to death, he apparently is capable of feeling guilt—although this is essentially suspicion that Fagin lied to him about her betrayal, and fear of the possibility of being caught.

Sounds like quite the charmer, no? Yet somehow throughout this description, a note was struck inside of me. I wanted to play this character. Some weird part of me wants to play the bad guy. Is it normal for a person to want to be bad? Not really bad, just pretend. That makes it ok, right? 

-Tenacious Tenor

Why did we not think of that?!?

Had to take the boys down to the school this morning for a Polo game, and I apparently took the wrong route, and we got stuck at the 'Light of Death'. There is a certain light that is notorious for taking an extremely long time to change for people going east or west, and the boys had been stuck there so many times it had earned itself a nickname!

We were behind a friend from the team, and his carpool buddy, and we had noticed each other and were making faces and having fun driving to practice, but when they got to the 'Light of Death', they knew exactly how to deal with it! The carpool buddy jumped out of the car almost immediately, ran to the side of the road, and pressed the button to alert the light of a pedestrian, and ran back to the car. We waited about thirty seconds after that until the light turned green, and we were able to go through. Behind me I heard a chorus of 'Awe man!!! How come we never thought of that?!?!?'. Landon sitting next to me, turned and looked at Lucas and said simply, 'Because, when we are here, it's five in the morning, and our brains don't function until we hit the pool.'

How often do we go through life with problems we think are 'Problems of Death', and all it takes is a simple solution, but we can't think of it ourselves. Do we sometimes not think about what's going on until we 'hit the pool'? I wonder how many problems I have given up on when all it took was getting out of the car for a second.

How much would our lives improve if we had a carpool buddy to help us out with problems we can't figure out ourselves? Don't we have that buddy? Just like a carpool buddy, if your car isn't a good environment, no friend is going to want to drive with you. If you are a mean person, people don't want to be around you. The same is true of the Spirit. If you don't have a good environment, he won't hang around, but if we invite him in and do things to keep him there, he has offered to be our 'carpool buddy' through life. He is there to help us through the simple problems we can't figure out on our own.

I challenge you to make sure you are living your life so that your carpool buddy wants to ride with you.

-Tenacious Tenor

Our Dream Starts Now!

Recently watching TV, I saw a commercial for American Idol where every contestant from one city got together and yelled the phrase, "Our Dream Starts Now!"

I think that's a great idea, that this is their dream, and because of this show, they get an opportunity to live their dream.

But at the same time, I wonder about how they feel if they don't make it? Do they think this was their only dream, and their only chance? Do we sometimes feel that way? That if this one big thing doesn't work now, it might never work? Do we limit our dreams? Do we leave our dreaming in the hands of others to make them come true?

I have been thinking about my 'dream', and what exactly that is. Do I have one dream? I don't think so. I have always dreamed of a family, being a good father and husband. I have dreamed of serving a mission, and sharing the gospel with those who need it. I have dreamed of various jobs through the years, anything from professional baseball to a pediatrician. I have dreamed of luxurious trips to remote islands, and rough and tumble camping trips. I have had dream come true, I have given up on dreams. But in the end, it all come back to the same question. When does the dream start?

Do we wait until our dream comes to us? We could be waiting years. Do we go get our dream? What will it take to make our own dreams come true? Do we sacrifice things we have now to get the things we want later?

I agree with American Idol. I think 'Our Dream Starts Now!' I think we find our dream and work towards it now! If you have a dream job, get into classes! If you have a dream home, start saving! If you have a dream family, make yourself the person you have to be to raise that family! If you have given up on a dream, take another look at it. It's still there, you just forgot about it for a while. Sometimes the things we think are least likely, we can make it happen.

Let your dream start now.

-Tenacious Tenor

One Short Day

I recently went to see Wicked on tour with Broadway, and it was fantastic! I have had the whole soundtrack in my head lately, but my mind keeps coming back to one song in particular. The song talks about having only "One Short Day in the Emerald City", and how there is "a lifetime of fun" to be had while you are there. That's an interesting thought to me. What if you were to only have One Short Day in a certain place?

One Short Day in New York?
Choose the big things, see those, and move on.

Empire State Building, Broadway, Sacred Grove, Statue of Liberty, etc.

One Short Day in California?
That's a little harder, some things take almost a whole day. But same concept.

Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, Pier 39, the coast of the Pacific.

One short day in another country?
Extremely tricky because you don't know the place!

The Taj Mahal, or the Eiffel Tower, Parliament, 'The Rains Down in Africa', (couldn't help myself), or the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

They all seem kinda hard to choose, and it makes it almost impossible to see everything you want knowing you only have 24 hours to do it in.

But then I started thinking today,what if you only had One Short Day, on Earth. What would you do? Would you spend it with family? Would you try and see the world? Where would you go? And how would you choose what to see? Would you try to finish your bucket list? Or try and relax?

These are the things that I have been thinking about, and to be honest, I'm not sure what my answer would be. At first I thought that I would spend my time here doing all the things I love in Utah, but where my Mom is in India is so beautiful, I want to see there too. I have always wanted to travel to Australia, and Spain, France, and Brazil. So much to do before our 'One Short Life' is over.

What are you going to do with it?

Just something to think about.

-Tenacious Tenor

There is No Business Like Show Business

I haven't posted anything in a while, and have been thinking alot about it lately, so I decided to post something today.

I have been really busy as of late, and it feels like the only time I am sitting still is when I'm sleeping. And even then sometimes it's not quite restful. I was talking with my Dad on Sunday about stress, and filling my plate to bursting point. I have done this before, and I didn't enjoy the first few times, yet I keep doing it!

I have been working a full time job which is taking all my energy to start, and then I go straight to rehearsal. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE play practice, and it's fantastic! But boy you end up tired after a full day like that. I try and spend some time with Britt, and get some sleep. The time with Britt is never enough, as is the sleep. So I get up the next day and try to make it better then the last.

But I complain too much. My job pays me well enough for what I need right now, I'm taking a mission prep class and learning alot. I feel like every week I teach my primary class, that I learn as much as they do. The play is fantastic and I love doing it! I have been given the chance to play the lead role for a couple of shows during the run, and however hard it is right now, it's going to be a lot of fun to do! I have a great girlfriend who loves me, and a great group of friends both old and new.

All in all, I'm exhausted, bordering on sick, stressed and in need of a break pretty much 24/7, but I am having a great time with all my hectic schedule offers, and am loving it!! I can't make any promises but I plan to start posting more, as this seems to relieve at least a little stress.

Thanks for reading........ Whoever might be.....

-Tenacious Tenor

Fast Forward

So, I have this theory.

Have you ever seen the movie Click? I haven't seen the whole thing, but I get the concept; a universal remote that controls the actual universe. At least for the person controlling it.

I think that somewhere along the way, some jokester somewhere got a hold of the remote for my life, and this guy sure is having a great time!

His favorite button of course is the fast forward. Whenever he sees me having a good time, he decides that I don't really need to go through all of it, he will just fast forward through the night into the next day where I'm back at work. Feel like you're going to have a nice, relaxing weekend? Not while this guy is at the controls!

He is also fairly partial to the scene skip function. You like being a ten year old kid without a care in the world, not having to worry or fret? Okay, let's skip a few scenes to where you are 18, out in the world with a full time job and preparing for a mission that blindsided you. That's a nice little change of pace, right? Wrong, remote man. Wrong.

He also likes to play with the volume and subtitles. Whenever there is something good going on, like your boss telling you to go home early, or your mechanic telling you there isn't anything wrong with your car, let's mute that part so it's like you never heard it! The subtitles come into play whenever you know you don't want to hear something, so you can read it loud and clear.

Every once in a while, he will randomly switch channels on me, so I feel like I'm living someone else's life. Then the channel changes back, and it's like I have missed the last few minutes of my own program, and have to ask someone to catch me up.

Having a good night's sleep didn't make the final cut, and the lines are still being written as we go. All I really know about the show that is my life, is I am only really in control about half the time.

Luckily the half that I have control of is a pretty good half.

I have the rewind button, so I can always reflect on my life, and see how things happened, and why they happened the way they did.

I've got control of the slow motion command sometimes, so on rare occasions I can make a special moment last forever.

The zoom button is all mine, so I can focus on what I choose, and zoom out of problems when I want.

Every once in a while I can pause, to just sit and think about the scene I am working on.

Sometimes the remote slips away from me, and sometimes I have the control, but it's always comforting to know that I am not only the leading gentleman, but the writer of my life as well.

Just something I've been thinking about today.

-Tenacious Tenor

Missions

I am at a time in my life when I have alot of friends either leaving on missions now, or getting ready to. It's sort of a scary thing right now to know that we are all going out in the world on our own, but it's an amazing feeling to know that we won't really be on our own. The Lord will always be watching over us, and come pain or suffering, we know he will be there.

I went to a missionary farewell today for my buddy Thomas, and he gave a very inspiring talk. He based his whole talk off of a story that he heard once, that goes a little like this.

A man had a dream one night that he was walking along a beach, and the Savior was with him, showing him scenes from his life. He showed him the good times, and the bad ones. Every scene he was shown showed footprints walking along the path he chose, and most of the time there were two sets of footprints, showing him that the Savior was walking with him the whole way. In some scenes, the man was distressed to see that when things were really low for him, he saw only one set of footprints along the path. Upset and concerned, he turned to the Savior and asked him, "Lord, why in my greatest times of need did you leave me? Why when I needed you most did you not walk beside me?" the Savior sighed, and replied softly, "My dear, dear chlid. In those times when you thought I had gone, those times when you needed me the most, when you see only one set of footprints in the sand, those were the times when I was carrying you."

I love this story, and I loved the talk that he gave after telling it. He told us about his life, and all the times where he felt like the Lord was carrying him, and it got me thinking about when I have felt the Lord has carried me along. Thank you Thomas, for helping me to think about how the Lord's hand has been in my life.

I have other friends who have left, and friends who are anxiously awaiting their day. I have friends who are putting papers now, and those who are just starting the process. Wherever they are in the process, it's amazing to me to see the change that it has made in the live's of my friends, and the influence they are having on me.

I am grateful for the great friends that the Lord has given me, and the amazing influences I have in my life, and I wanted to share that with whoever may be out there reading this.

-Tenacious Tenor

A little about me

Most of the people looking at this blog will probably already know me, or at least a little about me. I guess this post is for those who don't.

Think about your friends.

Do you have that one friend who seems like he is a nice guy, but sometimes is a total weirdo?
That guy who talks way too much, and laughs way too loud?
The guy that at any moment could, seemingly without reason, burst into song?
Does he have a girlfriend who he loves, and spends a lot of time with?
Does he love to try new things, but sometimes has a hard time actually doing it?
Is he getting ready to serve the Lord on a mission?
Does he love food, and music, and sleep, and a good action thriller?
Does he love being on the stage, and seems to going through actual withdrawls from the lack of it?
Is he a total Mama's Boy and proud of it?

You do have this friend? Well then, I guess we are friends! :) Because this here is just a little taste of me.

I don't really care what people think about me, so I'm okay with being a weirdo.

I talk too much, and sing spontaneously, and I guess that's why I'm doing this blog. So I can do both whenever I want.

I have a girlfriend, and she is the best thing in my life. Her name is Brittany, and she makes the happiest guy in the world.

I always love a new adventure, but I have issues actually starting these new adventures.

I am preparing myself to serve the Lord for two years, and I have a testimony of the truth of the gospel. More then anything, I want to make people feel the strength and warmth I feel about the gospel.

I love to eat, love to try new foods, I appreciate pretty much any music, would sleep all day if I could, and do love myself a good movie. I love action, I love rom-com's, and without shame I will say that I love chick flicks. my absolute favorite movie in the world is A Walk to Remember. Beautiful movie.

I love being on the stage, whether singing, acting, directing, managing, anything. I haven't had the opportunity in a while, and am feeling like I need to soon. And bad.

I love my whole family, and always will. But without a doubt, I am most definitely a Mama's Boy. I love my Mama, and can always use a good hug from her. She reminds me to keep going when I feel like I can't, and she is always around to tease me when I goof. I love my Mama, and will be a Mama's Boy forever.


Well, this is a little taste of me. The blog will be my thoughts on life from time to time, and every once in a while, a video of my covering a song I like. If you like what I have to say, or even just sound like, that's great! And if not, no big loss! :)

-Tenacious Tenor