hmatt's blog

Today I made an appointment to get my Nissan LEAF updated. It updates battery management system to the 2013 model. Anyway, I knew I’d have to wait for a while, so I brought my computer and watched a DVD.

Afterwards I felt compelled to write a blog entry for my acting blog, and then the following conversation began amongst the others in the lobby. I don’t know how their conversation began, it wasn’t due to me, but rather commenting about how the guy across from me didn’t have his phone to keep him occupied. He was adamant about how ‘he went years not wanting or needing a cell phone, so he could do without today’.

The man on my left, a retired teacher talked about how cell phones affected student interactions. How they weren’t as apt to communicate amongst themselves. Then the elders began to talk about the usual problems of lack of proper spelling etc. The man across from me talked about how kids text on the phone while driving. Then the lady to my right piped in about how actually kids get in most accidents because of speeding. After a moment, the conversation returned to phones.

Here I was, frantically trying to finish my blog entry right after I was inspired to write it, and I felt that pressure to put my phone away.

I thought of this video and I put my phone away after posting, and tried to jump into the conversation.

By this point they began to talk about how big LASD is, and the fellow across from me thinks they should break the school districts up, the retired teacher to my left agreed and I nodded as well. It is true that when it get bigger it gets harder to manage. That’s true of any institution, which is why small groups at a church are excellent. Just at the guy at my left suggested, it keeps accountability when groups are smaller.

Within a few moments my cell phone rang, and I was notified that my car was ready to go.

Partially while eavesdropping I got to hear the viewpoint of a retired teacher, the guy across from me was an attorney (he also mentioned that a jury isn’t consisted of peers anymore, which made me wonder what being on a jury is like now), and the lady to my right.. I didn’t hear what she did.

It is always interesting to hear elders talk. Everyone had white hair, and I haven’t been very good at placing ages, but it makes me wonder what I seem like to kids in high school or college.. probably just as old. lol. Especially when I start dating myself talking about iPods (do people use those still?) or 2 hour battery life on laptops.

The Disney Look, 2000

In 2000 I participated in the Walt Disney World College Program. I kept a big plastic bin full of all the papers pertaining to my experience.

I started scanning some of them, and it is always strange to have that rush of memories flooding my brain as I touch papers I used to deal with years ago. It’s as if I’m being confronted with the 20 year old me, and what I wanted to pursue. The world was wide open with possibilities.

I’m in the place I always thought I’d be, Los Angeles, but I still have (as yet) unrealized hopes and dreams. I see remnants of the past before me and my current hopes of the future still just beyond my reach.

I am purging my papers and documents, and creating a simplified space around me.

I still have high hopes for the future, and it starts today.

Yesterday was my birthday and I decided that I would make drastic changes. I fell into a procrastinating rut, and I didn’t like it.

My biggest goal now is to FOCUS. In the past I have gotten so caught up with various projects and half done ideas; I wasn’t completing as much as I’d like. I summed up my priorities to ACTING {creativity}, FINANCES {create a wealth of savings and pay off all debts}, RELATIONSHIP {Making Jacqui a priority in my life, as well as other friends} and most of all SIMPLICITY!

I haven’t done anything with TheRetroKidsShow.com in a long while, and I still have 80% done of episode 4- so I want to FINISH IT! Plus, create a framework where I am constantly practicing and channeling my creativity instead of letting it flounder.

I cleaned up my environment yesterday; my desk, my dresser drawers and cables etc. I also finally got rid of a few t-shirts that I always wear that I just needed to let go of.

I did make a mistake though, I spent WAY too long trying to drive to a theatre to get my free birthday movie. I want to balance my time and my efforts and make sure that I’m managing things wisely.

Today begins a new day and a new adventure.

I signed up for the “Merrill Ream Speed Reading” course via ed2go and the lapl.org and I started today.

The first question was to write down what I thought my reading speed and comprehension should be:

initial reading rate guess
130 words per min?

percentage remember : 80%

I made up these numbers and I had absolutely no idea. I took the first test and woo-hoo! I was able to read the story in 3:20 which according to the graph meant I was reading 465 wpm!

Then I took the comprehension test…

50%

Okay.. so that makes my starting point 232 wpm.

My goal is to be able to read through books and scripts quickly. I’ve been listening to my kindle read books to me, but reading not-out-loud is SO much faster.

I look forward to mastering the different techniques, the first one is to not move my eyes around so much while reading.. so I’m working on that.