Sizzle Reel Syndrome

I've got two tasty words for you tonight, folks: sizzle reel. I once sat in a sales meeting where the rep kept using the words "sizzle reel"over and over again. She was ranting and raving about this up-and-coming technology, and how we were going to be the pioneers. Yes, indeed! We were going to capture our audiences with our big "sizzle reel," and sell, sell, sell. Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle...sell, sell, sell!!! I know all about this being in the advertising industry, wherein all that sizzles is gold.

Tonight, I had a long talk with a dear friend, and we were reflecting on our perceptions of people. He made a point to say that often times in our dealings with others, we only see the sizzle reel of a person --- the highlights, the selling points, the parts we just want to eat up. It's easy to buy into. It's what's immediate and in your face. It's a damn sizzle reel! 

If we're spiteful and perhaps even obsessively don't like a certain someone, the sizzle reel might look a little more like that certain someone crackling in hell fire. For the record, the latter is not really my sizzle-steez, and frankly, it borders on darker "burn" or "roast" territories that don't do a whole lot for me. 

The point either way is that it's a reel: a collection of choice moments and specific snapshots stitched together to form a mere impression of somebody else. We don't know what other people are going through at any given time. And only when we take the time to look past the sizzle reel, and delve into what is truly real do we begin to see the whole picture of a person. Taking the time is worth it --- trust me. 

What I uncover beyond the sizzle reel is sometimes surprising, as in "I really had no idea this person was experiencing this." Sometimes it feels like a major breakthrough, as in "It all makes perfect sense to me now, and I'm glad you allowed me to gain a better understanding of you." Other times, the experience is a bonding one, as in "We have something in common, and this brings us closer."

The human experience, done well, connects us to others in deep and meaningful ways. We must actively seek these connections, and nurture them. And in the cases where all we see is a sizzle reel, we must trust that there is a story there --- a rich one for us to discover if we choose to invest, and one that we must respect even if we choose not to for whatever reason. The temptation to judge someone based on their sizzle reel is great. These days, I am actively trying to do that less. 

An incoming UC Irvine student that I met while volunteering recently reminded me of a diversity workshop I used to lead called "Walk the Line." To summarize the activity, a series of prompts are read in a safe space, and you step forward or "walk the line" when a particular experience has affected your life. This student said something to the effect of, "I like that activity because you're almost never alone. There's always someone with you that's going through or has gone through the same thing." And she's right. 

*I missed writing, so for the time being, the Passion Pig blog lives on. This post was brought to you by Bacon.*

Pacific Northwest Pig

This is my new friend, Rachel...and here's a bit about her.

17th August 1986

A Bronze Pig Statue, Rachel, is unveiled at Seattle's Pike Place Market,
just about 3 months shy of my birthday.
She's a Leo.
I'm a Sagittarius.
("Both Fire Signs are dynamic and enjoy life.")
Every year, Rachel collects approximately $6,000 - $9,000 for social services.
Yeah, that's right...
She's a do-gooder.
A philanthro-pig.

5th February 2011

While I was busy decorating my 9th living space within a 7 year-span,
Rachel was experiencing the shock of her life.
She was hit by a taxi cab in a traffic accident, and fell over on her side.
She had to leave her home at the market - the only home she's ever known-
to recuperate. In her absence, she was missed dearly.
She came back, after only a few days away, with a new lease on life.
She suddenly understood how fragile life can be...
How we never really know where we will be on any given day...
(That we may not in fact be where we think we're "supposed to be".)
You never know...
who will come through to say, "Hello!",
or take a photo with you, smiling...
Every day is a surprise. Every visitor is a friend.
Some may come and go, quickly...
just passing through.
Some may give you a penny, a nickel, or a dime...
a wish.
Others might give you a special moment...
A memory...or a collection of memories...
that you really can't put a price on.
And no piggy bank could contain it.

28th March 2012

I met Rachel at Seattle's Pike Place Market while vacationing in Washington.
I lit up the second I saw her.
We made an instant connection.
I big-hog-hugged her.
It was awesome.

See!

Rachel and I are also quarter century sisters.

This got me thinking:
I wonder if a 550 pound pig statue can have a Quarter Life Crisis too...

Turning 25 has brought to the surface so many questions:
What career do I choose?
What's my long-term career plan?
What kind of partner do I want to marry someday?
Do I want children later in life?
Where do I want to live? Where can I live? Where do I refuse to live?
What do I truly value and believe in?
Who are my real friends - the ones worth investing in?
What kind of crazy things have I dreamt up but have not gotten to do yet?
What are my big goals for self-improvement this year?

My mind has been in hyper-overdrive over the last couple of months.
I moved for a 10th time,
had an epiphany or three,
and took a much needed vacation to Washington.
The vacation reminded me of something very, very important...
to get back in the moment, and let the future unfold as it will.
Remembering to do that was really sobering.
At least for the time being, I'm not plagued by all the quarter-life crisis questions.
Asking them is perfectly healthy.
Overthinking them is not.
Patience.
The answers will come.

Happy Pig Appreciation Day 2012!

Early December 2008 - the beginning.

March 1, 2012 - the holiday.

Right Now - wearing the sexiest pajamas EVER.
Eat your little hearts out, Angels.

COMING NATIONAL PIG DAY 2013:
Flying Pig Fashion Show
>
Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

Yes?

No NegaPIGity Allowed!

This morning, my toast fell on my way from my apartment to the parking garage. The fallen toast was still cloaked by the paper towel I had chosen to protect my breakfast. Ever the optimist, I hoped that it was not butter-side-down, and that the two/five/whatever-second rule would apply. I crossed my fingers and awaited the verdict: heads or tails. My roommate picked up my fallen soldier to reveal his fate. He had met his untimely end: butter in the gutter!

My head was spinning. And then came the questions...

"Was that green speck in your butter before?"
"Was that hair there?"

We both knew the answers...."No," and "No."

I had serious plans for that toast. But sometimes things don't pan out the way we want them to.

Could I have spent my entire commute crying, wondering how different life would be if I had chosen a less casual outfit for my toast, wishing I had armored him in aluminum foil instead of the paper towel? Sure! But worse things could have happened. For instance, I could have dropped my friend's giant birthday cupcake instead.

The wise Dalai Lama said, "Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions."

Therefore, happiness is always a choice. It's not always an easy choice to make, but it's a choice nonetheless. It's the difference between an unaffected "Zen Drive", and a Relentless Uncensored Road (all caps) RAGE session. It's crying in defeat versus try,try,try-ing and then ultimately celebrating a triumph. It's turning the loss of your would-be breakfast into positive creative inspiration, and an excuse to get jalapeno kettle chips from the office vending machine at 8am.

Negativity debilitates dreams, while a force of positivity propels them forward. Knowing that happiness is a choice makes all the difference in our lives, both present and future.

So, if there is ever an angry, negative pig inside of you threatening to break your piggy bank with its chainsaw (per the photo above), promptly put it in the trash. Meditate on its demise, and perhaps envision destroying it with the help of some familiar birds on a smart phone near you.

No negaPIGity - no doubt.

A New Blog Where Pigs CAN Fly

Pigs can fly. Oh, yes - they can! Fueled by the power of our imaginations, pigs can do anything.
If I say "piggy bank", what comes to mind? A cute little round thing with a slot for your loose change? Nay, people!!! That would be all too ordinary.

There's a piggy bank that lives in my imagination: a limitless vessel for our biggest dreams, he grows fatter as time passes, filling with positivity and possibility. And if we believe in him, he can fly (even when full...especially when full). Beyond the ordinary, this highly evolved pig is about positive change. So hold on to your coins, and whatever you do, don't break this bank. Fill him. Fuel him. Grow his wings.

Dare to defy perceptions of what you can do and who you can become. Sometimes people will look at you and say, "You can't do that..." or "You've always been like this, so what makes you think you can be anything different?" Don't let them tell you what you're built for. Only you can do that for yourself. And I know for a fact that you're worth more than a fist full of pennies.

I recently read The Top Five Regrets of the Dying, an article featured on The Guardian, which was shared with me by my brother. A palliative care nurse had researched and recorded the regretful reflections of dying patients. My brother is currently in nursing school himself, pursuing his dreams to provide quality, compassion-driven health care.

Of these top regrets, I was touched by the first: "I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me."

A huge part of my identity that I've neglected in recent years is writing to propel others in re-discovering their own passion, potential, and positive outlook.

So, what do you say? Join my movement. Follow my new blog.

Believe with me that pigs can fly.