Change in Speech: Don't Judge a Dumb Kid by His Stutter

I've been reflecting on this year and the past as I approach 2011.  It's been a great year!  Although lately it's been a bit of a bummer...  I feel a bit stuck in my present situation: Temporarily broke and not totally sure which direction I'm going.  It also doesn't help when you have a college degree and get turned down for a job as a stock person- a job that I did when I was 15.  Although I guess when I did have that job at 15, I stopped going because I hated it.  So it goes.

I'm still attempting to make a living at doing what I love: Work related to film, photography, art, education, or travel.  But that still encompasses SEVERAL life paths... So I'm exploring what exactly I like doing without investing myself in a career that I don't like doing.  

While at my Grandma's for Christmas, I found her old VHS camcorder, with which she still shoots home videos. It's one of the huge cameras that feels like you're holding a rocket launcher as you shoot your 3 year old kid- man has technology CHANGED! It's equally impressive to see a lady in her 70s saddle that bad camera on her shoulder. Good work grandma! 

My state of the bummers was recently enlightened by the above home video I dug up: A document of me as a dumb 3 year old with a speech impediment. For a minute, I totally forgot I use to stutter. My mom sent me to speech school when I was 4 years old. I remember I couldn't say words like "think" because I couldn't make the "th" sound. If someone asked me their opinion, I would say, "I sink that..." or "I sink so..." Man was it difficult to express myself when my thoughts were drowning in the challenges of speech.

You can also see that I had difficulty grasping simple life questions like:

Grandma's Question: What's the name of [your guinea pig]?

My Answer: Me don't have rabbit... eh, ma, ma, my rabbit died...

Looking back at this video I realize I've come a long way! I've overcome the loss of a dear pet rabbit, 2 actually (Kelly and I bought a pet rabbit last year and it died), and I can now say what I'm thinking while answering relatively simple questions. That progress is encouraging when I now have to grapple with those big questions like, "What do I do with my life?"

Now I certainly cannot answer that yet... But hopefully I just need time and patience. And when I figure it out, I'll boast with the energy of a stuttering 3 year old and yell:

"Kia! Ha!"

Change Your Kid? No Way!

My 8th grade friends who signed my yearbook would write, "Don't ever change!"

Now that's kind of a silly phrase because things are always changing and I've certainly changed since then... But, I think they were still on to something...

I may have "grown up" by growing a foot taller but I still find myself acting like a kid most of the time.  I'm 24 and I still don't consider myself an "adult."  It's partly due to a few incidences throughout my public education where I found the "adults, the educators, the people who are right," to be hypocritical, ignorant, pessimistic and often wrong.  At a young age, I couldn't make sense of the adult world which I was suppose to be preparing for.

Luckily, I'm pursuing a career path in the arts with film where your "inner child" is often encouraged.  It's important to look at things with a childlike curiosity, to see things new, to continue to learn.  It's also important to balance your inner child.  Some people take it too far, like the directors who throw tantrums on set and act like a baby.  Here's a good example.

Anywho, I was thinking of this because I just had a great time at my little cousin's birthday party which was at a "bouncy" kids place: lots of moon walks.  I might have had more fun then they did!  My brother-in-law and I were "warned" for slam dunking on the basketball bouncy.  It was awesome!

Here's a video of it.

It's always been a little dream of mine that if I ever become a millionaire, I would buy a few acres of land and fill it with trampolines side-by-side.  That way I could spend a whole weekend just jumping around, you know?

Did I also mention that some "grown up" friends of mine reunited over Thanksgiving at Zap Zone?  Well we did.  And I still think it's awesome to destroy teenagers in laser tag!

So, this may be contradictory to most things I say on this blog... but hey kids, "Don't ever change!"

Change in Money: It's Official, Google Paid Me!

Yes!  

I checked my bank account today to see if there was money in there...

And guess what?  Google Adsense deposited $108.43 in my account!  Heck yes!

It's OFFICIAL: I have finally made money off this blog!

This is the first compensation I have received since I started this blog at the beginning of the year.

And that's pretty awesome change.

I have to thank my readers and these little advertising boxes on the page.  Nearly every click puts $1 in my pocket.  That helps me put one candy bar or can of PBR in my stomach.  So thank you! (BTW, you don't have to buy or sign up for anything... just click.)

Now, really though, this is kind of a big deal!  I mean, I'm kind of getting paid to write this blog now... Does that make me a professional?  I don't know...  I'm not an expert on change nor am I making a living from it yet... [$108.43 / (26 Posts so far * Avg. 2 hrs per post) = Approx. $2.09 per hr]  But it's certainly a start!  Please share my blog with others and maybe one day I can make a living off of it!  And you could come live with me on my couch while I write!

Maybe I could still call myself a professional writer though... it's kinda like how every filmmaker is an "Award Winning Filmmaker" because they won a student film festival or something... By the way, I'm an "Award Winning Filmmaker."  I sometimes say that on resumes or job applications... it's kind of annoying... but I know if I say, "Hey, I'm a cool guy and I'll do a good job," it doesn't really work well... They want credentials!

Now money has the power to change people.  And I'm not denying its potential power over me too.  So I'm relying on you, dear readers, to keep both myself and my blog content in check.  I appreciate any comments and feedback.  Also, please "Follow" my blog if you're not doing so already.  Thanks! 

I promise that you can continue to expect change in myself, my blog, and the world.  But don't expect this new found income to bring about a new flashy change of wardrobe or car.  I'll still be wearing $2 flannels, I'll still be driving the Aveo, I'll still be living at my sisters for the time being, and I still can't afford a coke habit.

Still,

-Lazer