Coming back All-New and All-different

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Felicia on February 16, 2009 at 4:55

You've done oone of the possible things one can do here. Another is to look over people's profiles and reach out ot be friends or to chat on one another's pages. Also chat rooms are a blast--alot of fun there. Welcome to LI! Tis a grand place.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Dirk Griffin on February 16, 2009 at 8:38

Good of you to shout back, Felicia. Well, then, I guess I'll have to just run around reading some profiles.

Thanks, again.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Felicia on February 16, 2009 at 16:52

HAve fun with that! : )

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Stephanie Galloway on February 16, 2009 at 17:20

I am glad to here this news.The fact you created a post shows you care and you can also start by adding me as a friend (HA!HA!)

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Dirk Griffin on February 16, 2009 at 23:51

Thank you Stephanie and Felicia--I have friended you both. Tell me what you do. I'm currently recovering from a lifetime of working in the computer field having abandoned acting and being a musician for the financial well-being of my family (which didn't work out nearly as well as I would have liked) and have decided to return to a life as a burden on society by trying to make a living at my original loves. Not an easy mid-life change to make. Fortunately I have a good deal of support from my children, parent and friends in the matter.

Take care.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Felicia on February 17, 2009 at 2:52

My dad (who raised me) was a professional musician--in fact, he once played back up for Billie Holiday. It is a great thing, he would say when you can count on one hand the great loves of oyur life and a man who loves what he does, will be happy to go to work every day.
My natural dad is also a musician and played with manty many jazz greats.

I am an executive assistant at a university and going to school--just finished amasters in edcation and am working on a second masters in engish, so i can get an adjunct teaching gig or two, while i work through a phd in english--emphasis irish studies/lit. I am also a writer, with some of my poetry published and currently working, as part of a course at school to get published in the children's literature and/or magazines.

I make little money, work far harder at life than most, but at the end of the day (around 3am usually), I am not unhappy with the person I am, only the debt I have incurred. One must dare to dream and better still, dare to see those dreams come to fruition--it is why we are here in the world.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Dirk Griffin on February 17, 2009 at 11:56

"One must dare to dream and, better still, dare to see those dreams come to fruition--it is why we are here in the world."

That is simply lovely. I wish I could have embraced such thinking when I was a younger man. Very cool about your fathers. Jazz, while I love it, is not something I have a working knowledge of as a musician. Plus, I'm creaking from disuse. There's a big difference between playing an instrument and practicing daily--you can hear it in the sureness of the notes. I've scored a couple of local productions and played around town when younger, but mostly it has been for my own amusement over the last 20 years or so (Church some and the odd farmer's market show). I really need to redevelop the habit of practice.

Very cool about the writing. I'm actually engaged in writing a game book (I have an actual contract to do it) and have published locally. I hang out mostly in the poetry forum of http://www.absolutewrite.com but I've been absent lately. I think I'm still getting my feet back under me. It is a terrible thing to be left by one you love--particularly after 25 years. But, as they say, one day at a time and I'll be fine.

Kudos on the advanced degrees. I got my Bachelor's by the skin of my teeth. I'm a generally good student in subjects I take interest in--and I'm a poor student outside of that. I remember someone once commenting about my "schizophrenic" transcript.

So nice to have met you.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Felicia on February 17, 2009 at 16:19

Very nice chatting with you too. Listen, being in love is not soemthing one can plan for and losing it after such a long time can be awful, I know, but hang in there. I ma sure it was not for nothing as they say, and it just means that you both can now grow in neew and different ways. I have been married in a crazy relationship for 11 years now. I have children older than my marriage, so you can guess what my history is like--haha.

Congrats on the writing yourself, and ake sure you take 30 minutes a day to play. I have to go back to work, but talk to you again soon.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Stephanie Galloway on February 17, 2009 at 17:31

Dirk I have a degree to teach Special Education/Elementary Education.I have been a teacher for 7 years and I am a stay at home mom now with a 2 yr old.I understand following a dream.My true passion is doing art.I make sculpture out of recycled materials and I also do mixed media paintings.I do not think I will go back to teaching and just focus on my art.I have been in several exhibits and have hope I will be in more.Stick with your dream no matter how hard it gets because it will pay off!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Felicia on February 17, 2009 at 19:44

Aesome advise Stephanie! I agree.

• ▶ Reply