Variety is the spice of life!

June 7/11

So, it's after 4 in the morning and I'm still buzzed, charged, heart racing, brain in overdrive, ideas flowing, I'm pumped. Whatever.

Ya, I know this pic is from yesterday, (and obviously NOT in the middle of the night!), but it's tough to do a new photo shoot every day!

So, let's see. What's inhabiting my brain at the moment? The usual.
(ha ha! - If you've READ this blog, you know there's no such THING as, "the usual!")

Here's something I find strange. When I worked at Global TV, the thing I liked best was that NO day was EVER the same! There wasn't a chance in hell of ever being bored. (or even time to CONTEMPLATE that concept!)

One day, I'd walk in and be told I have to host the show because McAdorey called in sick. Another time, I was sent to cover the retirement party for my own Dad at the CBC! (now THAT was an emotional report!)

Once I lucked out and covered the news conference for George Harrison and actually made all the reporters (AND George) laugh with the one crazy question I was permitted to ask. It was around the time George did the music video for "Got My Mind Stuck On You," in which he suddenly jumps out of his chair does a back flip and performs some raucous gymnastics and gyrating dancing - very obviously done by a "double".



The nutty dance is at about 2:00 into the video. and lasts all of 12 seconds.

I asked, in a very straight voice, "HOW did you manage to DO that"? George laughed and quipped back that he'd been practising with a trainer for WEEKS to get those moves down and he was very glad to know I was suitably impressed! So funny.

Same thing happened at a Toronto Film Festival presser for Dennis Hopper. My question got the most entertaining answer of the day and all the reporters in the room wanted to use it, (except that in order to do so, it would have to be bleeped!)

I stood up and asked Dennis about the movie Blue Velvet (1986) - in which he played the villainous Frank Booth. I wanted to know if it was true that he originally wanted his character not just to inhale nitrous oxide before attacking Isabella Rossellini (Dorothy), but to push it farther and have Frank breathe in HELIUM to change the sound of his voice!

Dennis broke out laughing and admitted that director David Lynch wanted the gas to be helium. Dennis (who said he was an experienced taker of drugs), didn't like that idea and suddenly got it into his head to prove to all the reporters, why this wouldn't have worked! He went into "Frank Booth mode," pretended to grab a gas mask, put it over his nose and mouth, started breathing deeply, then eyed the crowd menacingly and launched into an hysterical, high-pitched, helium-induced voice, quoting his most famous line from the film, - "Don't you fucking LOOK at me!! Don't you fucking LOOK at me!!"

The room full of reporters roared with laughter - and I felt great!

But believe me, things didn't ALWAYS work out quite that well or go my way. Another day, I was about to interview Adam Duritz, lead singer of Counting Crows in a hotel suite.

While helping the cameraman with lights and tripods, Adam suddenly grabbed my notebook off the coffee table, peaked at all my questions and then proceeded to instruct me which of these questions he would or wouldn't answer! I was mortified.

Still another time, I was interviewing actor Beau Bridges, (an actor I've always admired). Having never met him before, I had no idea he had such an intense and steady gaze. It was as though he was seeing into my soul while he talked.

All of a sudden, I started to blush. It just wouldn't stop. Nothing I could do to keep my face from burning bright red, and it was CLEARLY visible to Beau, who must have realized the effect he was having on me and wondered, "What the HELL?"

The more he talked, the worse it got, until finally, I just had to wrap it up! (after that, whenever the opportunity came up to talk to Beau again, I had to back off and get someone ELSE to do the interview!)

As you see, every day was SO different from the next, each presenting its own challenges or delights.

So, my question to myself today is this.

If I was so enthralled with a job that offered this kind of variety every single day, - then why am I so afraid of CHANGE? I LOVED change at work, so why be so reluctant about it in OTHER areas of my life?

I don't get it. I need to get a grip!

How can I persuade myself to learn to embrace or welcome change?