About me

I've been writing stories for years. I think I'm a good writer and I'm willing to bet you'll feel the same way. So here they are. Enjoy them, comment on them, tell your friends about'em, reblog them, retweet them, reread them. I have four stories in my archive so far:
"One day on the Mountain", a story of Lycanthropy, a father, and a son.
"The Boy", a story of a very ambitious and sociopathic fifth grade boy.
"The Easy Girl, A story of infidelity and unpaid sexual debts. This story is very dark.
"Brick The Mighty", a story of an aging superhero.
Although this is primarily a blog of horror, I also write about things that are important to me. I have more stories tucked away; they just need editing. There's even a few novels. There will be more to come.
PS. Feel free to leave a comment. I love comments.

Tuesday 18 October 2011

Hugging the Cactus

    Robert Downey Jr received the American Cinematheque award on Friday. When he came up to make his speech, there was evidence  something was up: Mel Gibson was standing behind him, looking at the floor, his big hands clasped contritely together. All things considered, he didn’t look too bad: sort of like an ex-football pro who’s kept off the fat.

     Downey put on his best compassionate voice; we knew what was going to happen and yet we still wanted to see it. These two men are terrific entertainers, after all. Downey began by talking about his own struggles with alcohol and drugs. Then he talked of Gibson’s role in his social rehabilitation.

   "I couldn't get hired, and he cast me," Downey said. "He said if I accepted responsibility -- he called it hugging the cactus -- long enough, my life would take meaning. And if he helped me, I would help the next guy. But it was not reasonable to expect the next guy would be him." This got a huge laugh. 

   Gosh, do you remember Downey’s substance issues? Ally McBeal had to shoot around him because he was in jail. He got caught doing drugs by himself in a hotel room, which angers the libertarian in me, to tell the truth. You should be allowed to abuse yourself in private. But he’s clean and serene now, and in wicked shape to boot. So it’s only natural that someone so flawed would seek redemption for a friend.

   Mel came to the front of the stage, and the two men hugged. It made me glad, to be honest. None of us are perfect, and I hope that if I fall hard I will have the forgiveness of at least some of my friends and family. 

    Mel Gibson (and the plays on his name: Mad Mel. What fresh Mel is this?) got caught drunk driving, mouthing off to cops, and of course there were the ant-semitic remarks, and at long last his girlfriend and baby momma taped him screaming and ranting into the phone. He’s had a rough few years. So have his family, thanks to him.

   If you think Mel shouldn’t be given a second chance because he’s an abusive and drunken bigot, that’s fine. 

  But you should consider it not for him, but for yourself. The criminal courts are full of checks and balances because an innocent man should never be convicted, and that the guilty can be rehabilitated. Otherwise, blame is a very wasteful exercise. When you’re getting angry at someone who did you wrong, remember that. It's easier to forgive. Constant anger is like a leaky faucet. 

   And should you ever monumentally screw up, then wouldn’t it be nice to know that forgiveness is possible? It doesn’t mean you have permission to commit bad acts, but maybe, just maybe, you can be forgiven. 

   Because Iron Man told us to forgive Mel. 

3 comments:

  1. before mel was an asshole he was an asset--to Hollywood, the Holy Word, friends and family.

    PRIDE is, after all, one of the SEVEN DEADLIES...

    Only one man ever walked this earth free of sin and He died for all of ours.

    If I could find the exceptional and phenomenal actor and director I fell in love with in the BRAVEHEART days, I would welcome him with open arms.
    (Queue Journey)!!!

    Life is all about second chances... How many have YOU (as in the collective YOU) had? How many more might YOU (as in the collective YOU) need?

    TTFN, kg
    Kathryn Gayle, author-CONNECTED twcs publishing house

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  2. Thank you! How many people all over the world have fallen hard and gone on to redeem themselves?

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  3. I never thought much of RDJ, until I watched a political documentary he starred in. I never realized how incredibly intelligent he was. As his addiction caught hold of him, and the press reported every black moment of his life, my heart sank. I thought for sure he would end up a statistic.

    I am so glad I was wrong. I see in him my youngest brother- both handsome, charming, talented and struggling to find themselves in their sober bodies. It is a humbling experience to watch someone pull themselves out of their self made hell. I have much respect for the man, even more so that he would extend his hand to help someone else.

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