Some say seeing is believing. Those are the same people who can't see much beyond the tip of their nose. The same people who toss out unused headshots, pack up their suitcase and get on the next Greyhound headed back to podunk Michigan. Or actually, they're probably the people who never made the trek out west in the first place. They may buy into a dream for a hot minute, but eventually when the initial excitement wears off, they can only see that which is right in front of them. Put something ten feet away, or ten minutes into the future, and they act as if it doesn't really exist. What those poor souls don't realize, is that the big things in life are all based on believing in what you can't see.
This Christmas Eve, I'm still writing to you from Los Angeles. I'm not flying home until tomorrow morning. While most of you are opening your gifts and having eggs and coffee with your families, I'll be en route to mine. One of the unfortunate things about being from such a small town is the limited flights back home... and I had to book the one on early morning Christmas day. (If I'm on Santa's nice list, Starbucks will be open, and at 6am.) Kind of annoying, but ultimately not a big deal. I'm still headed back to my ol' stompin' grounds to spend a solid week with my family and high school buddies. Life is good.
When discussing travel plans, a few of my LA friends made it out like such a tragedy that I'd be alone on Christmas Eve, "Won't you feel lonely and sad?"
Why on Earth would I feel like that? Yeah, I may not be surrounded by my family and friends on December 24th, but that doesn't mean they're not out there, loving me just as much as if I were tossing back eggnog with them. I can understand that the Scrooges of the world would be miserable on Christmas because they actually don't have any loved ones to turn to, but I'm a betting woman, and my money says those people are lonely and unhappy the other 364 days of the year as well. Fortunately, I've never been called a Scrooge.
But then I started thinking... even if you're no Ebenezer, you could dwell on this situation and forget that which we can't see. Some people may not see love unless it's in the same room. But for me, and hopefully you, knowing my family's love and support exists is not a question of logistics. It is not dictated by airlines nor calendar days nor mileage on google maps. It's not even contingent upon my success as an actress in Los Angeles. It is with me every day, unconditionally.
Kind of like my confidence in my success at this racket called Hollywood. I don't need to see it to believe that it's real, that it's possible. I don't need to have constant reassurance from those in the industry to know that I have what it takes. If I did need that, I probably would have caught a flight back to my hometown a long time ago.
No one ever started the climb of Mount Everest with a crystal clear view of the summit. Columbus had no idea what he'd find out in that great ocean. Who knew what it would really be like to land on the moon? It may be difficult, but you have to learn to trust in what is not right in front of you. Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it's not there, or that it's not possible.
I'd like to think that if you can believe it.. you can see it.
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