Had a tea with this one when I was back in my hometown of Welland, Ontario recently.  Shelley and I grew up around the block from each other.  She was best friends with my sister Lisa and I hung out with them a lot during those childhood years.  Now…many years later….Shelley came to see my play AFTER ALEX that was performed in Guelph this past summer with another friend from my youth (Susan).  So I decided to reach out to her and “catch up”.

We hardly stopped talking in the hour and a half we sat down, trying to cram as much info between us.  When I walked away, it reminded me again about why I write.  Life can be such a complicated, beautifully tragic, wonderfully unpredictable thing.   It’s full of joy, pain and absolute mystery.  And a challenge that each of us must do our utmost best to  be our best, to learn, to not be afraid of the change that comes all our way.  And to embrace those crippling fears that make our stomach turn, gives us headaches or keeps us up at night.  Shelley is on a journey, like most of us out there.  Your journey can  involve a range of issues  from broken relationships, aging parents, cancer, loneliness, debt, depression, etc, etc, etc…  You fill in the blank.

I will always write about these people in my scripts.  The broken and sad who are striving to make a difficult life situation, better.  Who live for the next sunny day and hope for a better tomorrow.  Characters who are striving to be stronger…. people, like Shelley.   In the handful of things she told me about her life and the hard choices she had to face, she is stronger today and in a better place (although she may not always feel it).  Her strength, the positive energy…it’s all there, pushing her forward.  Sometimes it takes another person to tell you that you’re stronger than you think.

Keep pushing everyone…whatever your dreams, desires and hard choices you may have to make.  Reconcile and conquer.  Life’s path can lead you one way and then unexpectedly lead you down a surprising new path.  I think of my play ANIMAL and all the creative artists I have crossed paths with on this play.  I never thought I’d still be working on ANIMAL today (close to finishing the latest draft).  But here I am.  I am so grateful to everyone who has crossed my path with just this one script.   And I guess I want to leave you with that thought, about being thankful no matter your circumstance (and sometimes it seems impossible).  I’m thankful that I get the chance to create, and to write this blog to you today.  Best to everyone!