The (almost) New Year's Letter

Saturday, January 28, 2012
The New Year’s Letter (no-longer-that-new-but-better-late-than-never-right?)
Just got through watching The Karate Kid, version 2.0 w/Jackie Chan & Jaden Smith. Such a great movie, really. Funny and moving and touching and got me all riled up
The same could be said of another film by the same name came out some 20—almost 30 years ago! Hell, where did all the years go? Oh that’s right, they are under me.
Another cycle is complete.
This past year was pretty shitty truth be told. I could elaborate about the sickness and the mental breakdown and the lies and the thefts and the lawsuits and the friendships poisoned and tears wept, but really why bother. It was what it was, and no sense in wallowing in it.
It was a Year Spent in Bed, to put it quite plainly. More than any other, I fled the world and ostrich-like hid my head in the proverbial sand.
But guess what? Those blinders didn’t keep the wolves at bay. Hiding under the covers didn’t deflect the anxiety monsters under the bed, and for a while there, especially around the holidays, I really felt like I was being eaten up and chiseled away so that I didn’t know who I was anymore, what I stood for, where I was going—all that stuff.
In sum, at 36 years of age, I pretty much went through a “normal” mid-life crisis, taking stock of the water under the bridge and plotting a new course to the next roadway.
In this next year I will return to classes—some few which I want under my belt to make my application to AFI—American Film Institute—MFA program for next Fall that much stronger. And some classes I just want to take for the fun of it. I have always wanted to learn to blow glass, for example, and in March I have the opportunity to do it.
Work-wise—I am still part-timing it at Wolfgang Puck’s Catering, but as of next week, I will be returning to volunteering at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center regularly supervising their evening Cybercenter.
I also plan on taking my flagging into a higher level, professionally choreographing routines for special events in southern California.
Lastly, I intend to set up some Service Dog Awareness workshops at local business centers and medical facilities to disseminate some of my knowledge about the laws pertaining to service dogs and the rights of the people whom they assist.
This indeed, may lead to a short-term career goal as an ADA Compliance and Enforcement Officer for L.A. County.
In closing, I wish to alert you about my upcoming surgery in several weeks—a colonoscopy and endoscopic exam to determine What’s Going-on In My Innards. Early scans a few months ago detected some polyps and possible cancerous masses, but until they get inside, my doctors won’t know how many things they’ll have to extract or even if they’ll have to extract them. My icky parts may well be benign, and they could just hang out –er—rather , in-side my bowels, like so many floaters. Ha!
Life’s full of adventures! And at least I’m not bored.
I bid you all a very happy and healthy New Year filled with love and excitement.
Danny