THOSE WHO THINK THEY KNOW IT ALL
KNOW FAR LESS
THAN THOSE WHO KNOW THAT THEY DON'T KNOW
THAT'S MY GUESS
TRY TO KEEP AN OPEN MIND
THAT IS BEST
TRUST YOUR INTUITION TO
DO THE REST
WE ALL LIVE UNDER THE SAME SKY
WE ALL BREATHE THE SAME AIR
AND YET I SIT AND WONDER WHY
NOBODY SEEMS TO CARE
THOSE THOUGHTS MAY NEVER CROSS THEIR MIND
IT'S NEITHER HERE NOR THERE
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT YOUR THOUGHTS
ARE YOU AWARE THEY'RE THERE
DO YOU FIND YOURSELF OVERTHINKING
CHOOSING WHAT YOU WILL SHARE
DO YOU FIND YOURSELF BEING HONEST
BLURTING THINGS OUT AS THEY COME
OR EDIT AND HIDE SOME STUFF
YOU DON'T SHARE WITH ANYONE
DO YOU ONLY SHARE THOUGHTS THAT SEEM PROFOUND
OR JUST ANY OLD THOUGHTS HANGING AROUND
HOW SIMPLE IS THIS
TO FOLLOW YOUR BLISS
HOW WILL YOU KNOW
WHERE YOU SHOULD GO
HAVE YOU LOST YOUR WAY
HOW FAR DID YOU STRAY
ARE YOU REMINDED
WHERE YOU WILL FIND IT
MY MOM USED TO CALL US KIDS MONSTERS SO I CALLED HER MOMSTER... SHE WAS ALWAYS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT US BEING ON OUR BEST BEHAVIOR...SO ANYTIME WE WERE GOING OVER TO OUR COUSINS HOUSE FOR A VISIT SHE WOULD WARN US BEFORE WE LEFT THE HOUSE THAT WE HAD BETTER BE ON OUR BEST BEHAVIOR OR WE WOULD GET IT WHEN WE GOT BACK HOME...I REMEMBER ONCE WHEN WE WERE VISITING OUR COUSINS ONE OF THEM STARTED YELLING AT ONE OF HER SISTERS ABOUT SOMETHING AND IT STRUCK ME FUNNY AND I BUST OUT LAUGHING...SHE WAS LIKE...IT'S NOT FUNNY...AND I WAS THINKING APPARENTLY SHE DIDN'T GET THE SAME MEMO WE DID FROM OUR MOM FROM HERS CUZ SHE WAS JUST ACTING NORMALLY WHETHER SHE HAD COMPANY OR NOT AND I WAS LAUGHING AT HOW SILLY IT SOUNDED TO ME THINKING HOW SILLY IT MUST SOUND TO OTHER PEOPLE WHEN WE ARGUE ABOUT STUPID STUFF ...SHE GOT MAD AT ME FOR LAUGHING AND I TRIED TO TELL HER I WASN'T LAUGHING AT HER...I WAS THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE...I COULDN'T HELP IT...THE SITUATION WAS TOO FUNNY TO ME..
A DIFFERENT TIME THE MOMSTER GROUNDED ME FOR SOMETHING I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS BUT I HAD BEEN GROUNDED BEFORE AND USUALLY WOULD JUST MOPE AROUND AND STAY IN MY ROOM...WELL THIS TIME I THOUGHT I WOULD TRY SOMETHING I HAD HEARD ABOUT CALLED REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY...INSTEAD OF MOPING AND STAYING IN MY ROOM I DECIDED TO FOLLOW HER AROUND AND BE A LITTLE PEST...I WAS LIKE...HI MOMSTER...WHAT ARE YOU DOING...WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO TODAY HMMM...AND SHE WAS LIKE DON'T YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO DO...WHY DON'T YOU GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY...AND I WAS LIKE ...I CAN'T ...I'M GROUNDED...REMEMBER..SO....I GET TO SPEND TIME WITH YOU TODAY... SO WHAT ARE YOU DOING..WHAT ARE. WE GONNA DO...HMMM.. WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO...AND SHE WAS LIKE...YELLING... GET OUT OF HERE...THAT DIDN'T TAKE TOO LONG AT ALL...IT ACTUALLY WORKED... I NEVER GOT GROUNDED AGAIN...AMAZING...PRETTY SMART KID HUH....HA HA
USUALLY WHEN YOU DO FILM EXTRA WORK YOU ONLY WORK A DAY OR TWO ON A FILM.. THERE WAS ONE FILM CALLED DOGWATER AT THE TIME THAT WAS THE WORKING TITLE LATER CHANGED TO SINCE YOU'VE BEEN GONE AND WHEN I WENT TO WORK ON THAT ONE AN OLD THEATER PAL OF MINE WAS THERE AND HE ASKED ME IF I WAS COMING BACK THE NEXT DAY. I WAS LIKE NO...TOMORROW I'M DOING MY BEST FRIENDS WEDDING...AND HE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A H.S. REUNION MOVIE THAT ALL TOOK PLACE IN ONE NIGHT SO THEY COULD REPEAT YOU. I SAID I WOULD ASK THE EXTRAS AGENCY IF THEY COULD REPEAT ME ON IT AND THANKED HIM FOR LETTING ME KNOW. .I ENDED UP GETTING THREE WEEKS OF WORK ON IT...THEY GAVE ME A DRESS AND NECKLACE TO WEAR FROM WARDROBE AND PROBABLY SHOES CUZ I USUALLY JUST WORE GYM SHOES ON MOVIES CUZ THEY DON'T USUALLY SHOW YOUR FEET AND THEY LIKED RUBBER BOTTOMED SHOES THAT DIDN'T MAKE NOISE AND THEY DID HAIR AND MAKEUP EVERY MORNING AND HAD A PICTURE TO MAKE SURE THEY MATCHED THAT. THAT WAS UNUSUAL FOR EXTRA WORK. I FOUND OUT FROM OTHER EXTRAS THEY HAD AUDITIONS FOR THE REUNION MEMBERS AND A LOT OF THEM GOT A LINE IN THE MOVIE. I DIDN'T CALL THE EXTRAS HOTLINE EVERY SINGLE DAY SO I HAD NOT HEARD ABOUT THAT. I GUESS A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WERE DOING EXTRA WORK WERE THEATER ACTORS AND HAD NEVER DONE IT BEFORE SO THEY WEREN'T USED TO BEING IN EXTRAS HOLDING MOST OF THE DAY AND JUST BEING CALLED TO SET WHEN NEEDED FOR A SCENE SO THEY WERE DROPPING OUT WHICH IS WHY IT WAS EASY FOR ME TO GET MORE DAYS CUZ I WAS USED TO EXTRA WORK SO I HAD NO PROBLEM WITH THAT. AS A MATTER OF FACT SINCE WE WERE WORKING ON IT LONGER THAN USUAL WE KINDA WERE IN CLIQUES LIKE YOU WOULD BE IN H.S. JUST HAPPENED NATURALLY...I WAS AT THE GAMES TABLE. PEOPLE BROUGHT BOARD GAMES AND I LEARNED LOTS OF NEW CARD GAMES. WE WERE HAVING SO MUCH FUN AT THE GAMES TABLE THAT WHEN AN A.D. WOULD COME IN LOOKING AROUND THE ROOM TO PICK A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE TO CALL TO SET I WOULD SLUMP DOWN IN MY CHAIR AND HIDE BEHIND MY CARDS...HA HA...I WAS HAVING TOO MUCH FUN...USUALLY I WOULD BE LOOKING EAGER TO GO TO SET...I REMEMBER BEING CALLED FOR A NIGHT SCENE WHERE THEY SAID THERE WAS GONNA BE A PUDDLE AND PEOPLE WOULD GET WET AND THEY WERE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE THAT HAD WARDROBE SO THEY WOULDN'T GET THEIR OWN CLOTHES WET. WELL, WHEN I GOT THERE AND SAW THE PUDDLE AND WHAT HAPPENED WHEN PEOPLE GOT WET IT WAS A LOT WORSE THAN I EXPECTED...IT WAS A HUGE PUDDLE THAT A CAR DROVE THROUGH PRETTY FAST AND THE WATER CAME UP LIKE A WAVE AND GOT THE GROUP COMPLETELY SOAKEN WET AND IT WAS CHILLY OUTSIDE AND I HAD A SHORT SLEEVED DRESS ON...SO I WAS KINDA HANGING BACK HOPING I WOULDN'T GET PICKED AND LUCKILY I MANAGED TO MISS GETTING SOAKED. THEY FILMED IT A FEW TIMES SO YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IF THEY WOULD USE YOUR GROUP SHOT OR NOT. IT WAS A ONE SHOT DEAL CUZ ONCE YOU GOT SOAKED THEY COULDN'T SHOOT IT AGAIN...THEY ENDED UP USING THE ONE WITH THE CHEERLEADER IN IT....ANYWAY THAT IS THE ONLY TIME I WORKED ON SOMETHING AND DIDN'T REALLY CARE IF THEY USED ME OR NOT...I STILL GOT PAID TO BE THERE...OH YA...THEY HAD A LOT OF ACTORS DOING CAMEOS IN IT AS REUNION MEMBERS AND I HEARD BRAD PITT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ONE OF THEM BUT HE WAS DOING DEVIL'S OWN AND FILMING TOOK LONGER ON THAT MOVIE THAN EXPECTED SO HE COULDN'T MAKE IT AND WAS REPLACED WITH LIEV SCHREIBER. NOT SURE IF I SPELLED HIS LAST NAME RIGHT...THERE WAS ONE SCENE WHERE THEY HAD A FEW OF US AT A SMALL BAR SO WE WERE FACING THE BAR AND THEY PUT LIEV FACING THE OTHER DIRECTION NEXT TO ME AND WE WERE LITERALLY SHOULDER TO SHOULDER AND I WAS LIKE...OH MAN...THAT COULD HAVE BEEN BRAD PITT....DARN DARN DARN...HA HA...I HEARD JENNIFER GREY WAS GONNA BE THERE ONE DAY BUT I WASN'T ON SET FOR HER SCENE. I WAS HOPING TO SEE HER AND SAY HI. I USED TO USHER AT THE APOLLO A LOT FOR A PLAY SHE WAS IN THERE CALLED ALBUM. I USED TO SEE ADS IN THE READER ALL THE TIME LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEER USHERS AND SAW THAT ADAM BALDWIN WAS IN IT AND HE HAD BEEN IN A MOVIE CALLED MY BODYGUARD I HAD SEEN AT WATER TOWER MOVIE THEATER WHERE I WORKED AT THE TIME EARLY EIGHTIES....HE WAS THE ONLY ONE FROM THE CAST I HAD EVER SEEN IN A MOVIE...JENNIFER GREY AND ALAN RUCK HAD NOT DONE FERRIS BUELLER YET AND IT WAS WAY BEFORE WILL AND GRACE THAT MEGAN MULALLY DID LATER ON...I LOVED THAT PLAY. THE SOUNDTRACK WAS A LOT OF MUSIC I LOVED...I REMEMBER BEACH BOYS AND BOB DYLAN MUSIC IN IT. I DIDN'T REALIZE JENNIFER GREY WAS JOEL GREY'S DAUGHTER TIL HE CAME TO SEE THE PLAY ONE NIGHT AND SNUCK IN THROUGH THE TOP OF THE HOUSE FROM THE BOX OFFICE. HE DIDN'T WANT JENNIFER TO KNOW HE WAS THERE AND HE WAS TAKING NOTES THE WHOLE TIME ON HER PERFORMANCE...I FOUND THAT STRANGE BUT I GUESS HE WAS HELPING HER. I THOUGHT IF A PARENT CAME TO SEE THEIR KID IN A PLAY THEY WOULD JUST WATCH AND ENJOY IT NOT TAKE NOTES ON WHAT SHE COULD IMPROVE BUT WHAT DID I KNOW...ANYWAY SHE WAS NICE AND FRIENDLY AND I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO SEE HER ON SET AND SAY HI IF I HAD A CHANCE ...OH WELL...DAVID SCHWIMMER FROM FRIENDS DIRECTED IT AND WAS IN IT...HE WAS NICE. I HAD DONE EXTRA WORK ON ANOTHER MOVIE HE WAS IN CALLED KISSING A FOOL TOO...
SIMPLICITY SEEMS
TO BE A LOST ART
TECHNOLOGY'S SO COMPLICATED
AS SOON AS YOU THINK
YOU'VE FIGURED IT OUT
THEY JUST HAVE TO GO ON AND CHANGE IT
DO YOU WHISTLE OR HUM OR SING
AWARE OF THE JOY THAT BRINGS
DO YOU SMILE AND LAUGH A LOT
THESE THINGS ARE FREE NOT BOUGHT
COME NATURALLY NOT TAUGHT
THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE
I'M PRETTY SURE THAT YOU AGREE
BUT IF YOU DON'T WHY NOT
GETTING BACK TO BASICS YOU MAY HAVE STRAYED FROM
CAN REALLY BE A LOT OF FUN
A MEMORY POPPED INTO MY HEAD DOING FILM EXTRA WORK ON THE WATCHER...PRETTY SURE CUZ I AM WATCHING A MOVIE WITH JAMES SPADER IN IT AND HE CAME OVER AND TALKED TO ME IN BETWEEN TAKES IN A RESTAURANT SCENE JUST JOKING AROUND ABOUT THE GREASY FRIES ON THE PLATE IN FRONT OF ME LOOKING TASTY OR SOMETHING AND I MADE A FACE AND WAS LIKE OH YA REAL TASTY HA HA...HE HAD SEEN ME EARLIER WALKING IN FRONT OF HIM IN A STREET SCENE AS A HOMELESS PERSON...I HAD PUT A WATER BOTTLE IN A PAPER BAG TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE I WAS CARRYING A WINE BOTTLE...I REMEMBER THE PROP PERSON WAS IMPRESSED WITH THAT AND THE FACT THAT I DIDN'T BRUSH MY HAIR OR WASH IT FOR A FEW DAYS TO LOOK THE PART..HE WAS LIKE YOU'RE BRAVE TO DO THAT AND NO MAKEUP AND I WAS LIKE I NEVER WEAR ANY MAKEUP ANYWAY UNLESS THEY PUT IT ON ME ON SET WHICH THEY DID A COUPLE OF TIMES FOR DIFFERENT MOVIES BUT NOT USUALLY... I REMEMBER I EVEN HAD AN OLD WORN JACKET ALL BEAT UP AND TORN IN PLACES ....ANYWAY IN THAT SCENE WHERE I WAS A HOMELESS PERSON WALKING DOWN THE STREET IN BETWEEN TAKES AN ACTUAL HOMELESS PERSON CAME UP TO ME AND ASKED IF I KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON...I SAID I THINK THEY'RE FILMING A MOVIE HERE OR SOMETHING... AN A.D. CAME OVER AND TOLD THE GUY TO MOVE ALONG AND GRABBED ME BY THE ARM AND SAID SHE'S WITH US...THAT MADE ME LAUGH CUZ I WAS STAYING IN CHARACTER AND HE WAS LIKE BREAK IT UP..LIKE I NEEDED PROTECTION OR SOMETHING....HA HA
FUN MEMORIES DOING FILM EXTRA WORK...I LOVED DOING THAT CUZ YOU GET TO BE PART OF THE FILM WITH NO PRESSURE AND NO UNION DUES...I WENT TO COMMUNITY FILM WORKSHOP AND THEY HAD US DOING A COUPLE OF TWO MINUTE FILMS ON SIXTEEN MILLIMETER AND IT WAS A SMALL CLASS AND WE ALL WORKED ON EACH OTHERS FILMS AND WE SWITCHED UP ON JOBS SO WE GOT TO DO EVERYTHING LIKE FOR OUR OWN FILM WE WROTE,DIRECTED AND DID THE CAMERA AND EDITED IT TO EXACTLY TWO MINUTES LONG...ON OTHER CLASSMATES FILMS WE ALTERNATED DOING SOUND,LIGHTS, SCRIPT SUPERVISOR,SOMETIMES WE WERE IN THE FILM...WE DID EVERY FILM JOB...AT THE END OF THE PROGRAM YOU COULD DO AN INTERNSHIP TO DO FILM WORK BUT YOU HAD TO CHOOSE WHAT YOU WANTED TO DO CUZ EACH DIFFERENT FILM JOB HAS ITS OWN UNION AND WE COULDN'T AFFORD TO JOIN EVERY UNION TO BE ABLE TO DO EVERYTHING AND I COULD NOT DECIDE WHAT I LIKED DOING BEST...I LIKED DOING IT ALL...SO I JUST ENDED UP DOING EXTRA WORK CUZ THERE WAS NO UNION FOR THAT AND YOU GET TO BE ON SET AND PART OF THE PROCESS AND I ENJOYED BEING THERE...AND MEETING LOTS OF INTERESTING PEOPLE...I WAS INTERESTED IN ACTING BUT UNCOMFORTABLE WITH AUDITIONING AND FOR EXTRA WORK YOU DON'T HAVE TO AUDITION, NO LINES TO MEMORIZE, NO PRESSURE...I LIKED IT THAT WAY...MY LAST YEAR OF H.S. I TRANSFERED TO WHITNEY YOUNG MAGNET H.S. THAT HAD STARTED AN ACCESS TO EXCELLENCE PROGRAM FOR THEATER THAT YOU HAD TO AUDITION TO GET INTO THE PROGRAM...I LOVED IT CUZ IT WAS ALL THEATER CLASSES EXCEPT YOU HAD TO HAVE FOUR YEARS OF ENGLISH SO I HAD A CREATIVE WRITING CLASS...WE WENT ON FIELD TRIPS AND HAD GUEST ARTISTS DOING CLASSES WITH US...IT WAS A FUN PROGRAM...I WAS IN THE H.S. PLAY...I PLAYED GRANNY IN ON BORROWED TIME...THE VERY FIRST FILM EXTRA WORK I DID FOR AN INDUSTRIAL ON FIRST AID TRAUMA AND SHOCK THEY GAVE ME A LINE TO ASK WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF SHOCK...I WAS PART OF A CLASSROOM LEARNING ABOUT IT...THE SAG ACTOR WHO PLAYED THE TEACHER TOLD ME I SHOULD GET PAID EXTRA FOR THAT. I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS UNUSUAL TO GET A LINE DOING EXTRA WORK. THAT WAS MY FIRST TIME DOING IT. I DIDN'T HAVE AN AGENT OR ANYTHING SO I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING...LIVE AND LEARN...I GOT THIRTY FIVE DOLLARS AND A BOXED LUNCH...BUT I HAD FUN DOING IT...I DIDN'T CARE. OK RAMBLING...MEMORIES TEND TO BRING BACK MORE MEMORIES....YOU CAN SEE A LIST OF MY FILM EXTRA WORK IN A LINK I PUT IN AUTHORS COMMENTS ...FUNNY I LEFT OUT THE GILBERT ALTSCHUL INDSUTRIAL TRAUMA AND SHOCK THAT I HAD THE LINE IN...I THINK CUZ I WAS MOSTLY MENTIONING FILM AND TV WORK AND I ONLY DID A COUPLE INDUSTRIALS...THEY HAD ME DO SUPPLEMENTAL FILMING TOO TO BE THE STUDENT VOLUNTEER TO GET UP IN FRONT OF THE CLASS AND LAY DOWN FOR THE TEACHER TO SHOW HOW YOU WOULD TREAT SOMEONE IN SHOCK....THEY CALLED ME TO DO ANOTHER INDUSTRIAL WHERE I JUST HAD TO WALK OUT OF A BOWLING ALLEY LOOKING DISGUSTED CUZ THEY DIDNT HAVE SOME KIND OF SCORE KEEPING THING THERE.