I Can Imagine....

     I can imagine that these golf clubs were found in a dusty and dark garage closet in a forgotten corner of a small and warm house. They once flew through the air with acute precision, striking their target like a predator on its prey. They were probably once kept in a beautiful leather bag, and gleamed brilliantly in the shining sun on their trek through eighteen holes. There were almost 20 clubs, chipped and dull from the years of wear, left bare in an equally old and worn vase. The clubs haven't been used in almost twenty years, abandoned between the hot water heater and boxes of old christmas lights, simply sitting and collecting dust. 

     I can imagine that the original owner of these clubs purchased the set decades ago when he was younger, with aspirations of becoming one of the greats. There had been other sets through the years, but these were his first, his favorites. He would play every chance he got, every weekend and most weekdays. It put a strain on his relationships, but he never strayed, golf was a true passion of his. He would feel powerful and strong as he swung his clubs through the air, striking down on the glistening dimpled orbs and sending them flying through the air towards that hole in one. 

     I can imagine that something went wrong to take his focus away from the game. It would've had to have been big for how much he loved the game, how much he loved his clubs. I can imagine that it was a hot day, and the old man began feeling the effects. As the world began to close in around him, as his head pounded and he fell unconscious to the ground, his wrist broke his fall. Whereas he was back to his normal self within a few hours, his wrist took much longer to heal. He could no longer play golf and thus began to slip slowly into disarray. Golf provided the exercise he needed to keep his body going, and now he was lost. His once cherished clubs lay silent and still. 

     He became more involved in family matters, but since his fall, his health went into a downward spiral. Eventually the man passed away, never having picked up his clubs again, never having played another game. His son never played, he was never interested in golf, and never learned how to swing properly, beside the fact that the clubs were old and worn. There in the closet they remained, gathering dust and dirt, until the leather faded and fell away and the clubs lost all of their previous shine and brilliance. Forgotten for years and missed by no one alive to remember. 

Introspection

In an attempt to learn to view things and handle ideas with a fresh, new perspective, we are starting a series of "whacks," each designed to help guide us in the right direction of seeing and interpreting concepts an entirely new way. 




Who is one thing that always warms your heart, and puts a big smile on your face?


My rather large and old cat back home who's been with the family for at least 12 years. He is always ready for love and purrs no matter where you pet him. He would always put a smile on my face, no matter my mood. 

How has someone significantly influenced your life?


My Dad has saved for my education since before I was even born, and he has significantly influenced my life by supporting me in everything, even when I said I wanted to go to school for art, and because of his support, I am being given the opportunity to graduate without any debt from student loans from one of the best art schools in the world. So ya, my Dad has most assuredly influenced my life in an immeasurably significant way.   

If money were not a concern, and you know that you would be very successful at it, what job would you choose?   

If money were not a concern, I would still do the same thing that I am doing right now. I am one of the lucky few getting started in a career that can sustain me while still continuing to be the thing that makes me most happy to do. Art and animation is my life, and whether I was being payed for it or not, it is something that I will always do and that will remain a large part of my life.


What is your biggest 'pet peeve' and why do you think it bothers you so much?


My biggest pet peeve is definitely when people carelessly decide to stop in the middle of an aisle or directly in your path in public places such as the grocery store and the mall, etc. I try my best to pay attention to my actions and make sure that I don't inconvenience anyone around me because I know that I am not the only person in public and I need to respect everyone else and not just myself. It bothers me because people don't seem to return that simple favor, and instead ignore the fact that they need to respect everyone else in the store and end up rudely stopping short in front of you and blocking the path to your destination. It just really grinds my gears. 

What was the last thing that happened to you that truly made you cry?


The last thing to truly make me cry was a terrible nightmare that I had, in which everyone died by my own doing, I was responsible for killing everyone that I had ever know. 

What is the one thing that you find completely addictive?


In all honesty, movies. There isn't a genre that I don't enjoy, and I will find myself some days not leaving the couch, wasting the day away watching one movie after another. I can't seem to tear myself away from the screen for long before I want to watch another, and I am always looking for great new movies to watch. This "addiction" helps fuel my desire to be involved in animation and compositing for film one day.
 
If you could be smarter, what is the one thing that you wish you could truly understand?


If I were smarter, I wish that I could understand religion, all aspects of it for a true and deep understanding.  

Describe the most terrifying nightmare that you have had. What do you think it meant?


I can only remember bits and pieces, and I truly cannot remember the purpose or story behind the dream, but the most terrifying nightmare that I have ever had was one in which I helped create something that could destroy the world, and in fact did, and I remember the distinct feeling that came over me when we set off the bomb, and in that instant, knowing that I was responsible for killing everyone on earth, everyone that I loved and that loved me as well, I woke up in tears because of how powerful that felt. I have no clue what the dream means, perhaps it's some freudian tell of deep seeded issues that I have bottled up inside, feelings and emotions that I have yet to deal with and face. I doubt it though.


What is the most disturbing image you have ever seen?


As sad as it may be to admit, there is more than one disturbing image that comes to mind, but I can definitely agree which affects me in a worse way. The most disturbing thing I have ever seen is the video of Budd Dwyer pulling out a .357 revolver and shooting himself on live television. The way it was carried out, the setting it was in, the screams of the crowd and how his body fell to the ground lifeless left a mark on me, and I can say that seeing a person die that way is something that I hope I never have to experience again. The effect of seeing someone end their life in such a public and distressing way terrified me, it was like watching a train wreck, I couldn't look away, yet my brain screamed to not watch. It sticks with me to this day, it was truly disturbing. 

If you could fix one of the world's problems, what would it be, and why?  


If I could fix just one of the world's problems, I would fix ignorance, because I believe ignorance is the only thing that stands between us and reaching all of our goals as a society. Ignorance fuels denial, intolerance, hatred, illogic, greed and violence, and all of this is the basis of every issue facing humanity.