Don't Postpone Joy!
Who wouldda thought that this would happen to someone in their 7th decade? Okay, so maybe someone like Betty White?
“Enjoy life!” White shared enthusiastically. “Accentuate the positive, not the negative.” Following this up with a quick disclaimer that it may sound “trite,” White then proceeded to identify society’s natural gravitation toward complaining. “It’s not hard to find great stuff if you look,” she countered.
Most people my age (born 1954 - you do the math!) are thinking about retirement. Not me. It was precisely for this reason that I decided it was time to spread my wings and fly.
My hair color is naturally gray. I've added some blues, greens and violets. I have to laugh when the younger folk ask me where I got my hair dyed gray! I get many compliments but when I suggest to people they color their hair too they decline. "It wouldn't be right. People would criticize and see me as an outcast," they say. Really? Seriously? Is that how they they see me? A friend suggested I dye my hair black. I didn't see the point. I'm not trying to look younger. I like blue. I like colors. I want to have a colorful life!
“Don’t try to be young,” she [Betty] gently chastised.” Just open your mind. Stay interested in stuff. There are so many things I won’t live long enough to find out about, but I’m still curious about them.”
I recently received a very profound compliment. An Instagram follower asked me:
"How can I be like you before I'm 60?"
Honestly I had to think about that. What has brought me to this point in my life? If I look backwards I have to say that I have always been curious (because there is much that I don't understand!) and I've always followed my interests. I have rarely compromised for money or conformed entirely to society's norms. I don't do this intentionally. I simply flow with life and one thing always leads to another. When I intentionally take a job for money I end up feeling miserable and eventually fail. I think in these cases I have lasted at most two years, except for driving jobs; taxi and school bus. At least they got me out and about!
It happened that in 2010 my daughter gifted me a bumper sticker that read:
This simple yet very profound bumper sticker changed my life. YES! It was time to put JOY first and foremost in my life. It was time to start living, not just existing.
I've had an incredible life so far. I mentioned that I've come to this point but I didn't say where exactly that is. Who am I today at age 65 that a young Instagram follower is asking me for the formula?
If you read my blog posts you will learn that since January 2018 I've been a "free bird". My amazing children are now independent brilliant young adults. Yes, I raised them essentially singlehandedly. I was devoted to their well-being, to being the one who raised them and would not have ever had it any other way. I always expected they would follow their own paths, their own interests and curiosities. They have. I am super proud of them too. Today they are the ones who are encouraging and supporting me as I live this current life journey and adventure.
I came to South Korea as a tourist. I had traveled previously across the USA and in Europe, Canada, South Africa and lived in Israel. I decided I'd try Asia and the Oceana countries. At this age I travel slowly, settling down for a few months to explore at a natural pace. I ended up loving Busan, a port city in the southern part of South Korea. I worked in an exchange program - language for room & board - and was able to stay there for five months!! I made friends. I loved the ocean and I busked (street singing) to save money. After five months of dormitory living I moved to a "Goshiwon" where I had a private room with shower and fridge. I had to pay rent so I began to look for paid work. This was not easy to find as a tourist. Then something amazing happened.
I was referred to an entertainment agency that represents "foreign talent". Long story short I am now a legal resident and entertainer in South Korea!! It all happened to fast. I'd been in South Korea all of nine months enjoying life as a "traveler" and then in a flash my entire status and life changed. Here I am living in South Korea as an entertainer with a fantastic visa and job opportunities in the career I'd been pursuing since 1976! Truly this was a dream come true.
I didn't mention the power of prayer in all of this. It has perhaps taken me a lifetime together with some recent and very profound experiences to realize that prayer holds within it a very powerful energy and really does create change in the world. It took me until now to finally feel that G-d lives within me too. I'm not talking about religion either. I am simply saying that, for me, traveling, living and experiencing the world has brought me to new levels of spirituality.That's a whole other topic and not for this blog.
We all know that the entertainment world is a "horse of a different color". When I signed on as a foreign talent I entered a new and very exciting phase of my life. I am now working as an "actor, model, musician". I can confidently say that my current job is at a very professional level. This is serious stuff! Let the adventure continue! I'm flying high and higher now!
For my first "gig" I was hired as a voice coach to help guide a class of young elementary aged budding actors in voice acting. My years of training, work and experience with young children, and in musical education, and theater have proved themselves with this job. I was thankful that the production was The Wizard of Oz, a story I know well. I especially love the well defined characters in this story. The script was in English and, under the direction of Mr. JT Kim, the Korean children did a wonderful job in spite of the fact that they do not know much English.
My second gig spoiled me rotten. This was a music video for Taiwanese/Chinese celebrity singer, Wu Tsing Fong. This was the "real thing". A two-day shoot complete with four wardrobe changes, make-up, stylist, and I had a few featured roles even as an "extra". Digipedi, the company that produced the video, is most definitely way up there on the professional ladder. They have produced music videos for some of Korea's well known pop stars. Check it out!! Needless to say I had a blast being treated like a celebrity too. I can only dream of the day that I would be the celebrity singer in the video!!! The video will be released in July 2019. I will include a link at that time.
I am busy studying up on acting and modeling (at my age!!). I am learning monologues and scripts (oy - my memory...) and brushing up on voice acting, preparing demos, constantly updating my profile, my Instagram, and I am engaged in the ongoing search for 'gigs' - not a new process for me.
“Enjoy life!” White shared enthusiastically. “Accentuate the positive, not the negative.” Following this up with a quick disclaimer that it may sound “trite,” White then proceeded to identify society’s natural gravitation toward complaining. “It’s not hard to find great stuff if you look,” she countered.
Most people my age (born 1954 - you do the math!) are thinking about retirement. Not me. It was precisely for this reason that I decided it was time to spread my wings and fly.
My hair color is naturally gray. I've added some blues, greens and violets. I have to laugh when the younger folk ask me where I got my hair dyed gray! I get many compliments but when I suggest to people they color their hair too they decline. "It wouldn't be right. People would criticize and see me as an outcast," they say. Really? Seriously? Is that how they they see me? A friend suggested I dye my hair black. I didn't see the point. I'm not trying to look younger. I like blue. I like colors. I want to have a colorful life!
“Don’t try to be young,” she [Betty] gently chastised.” Just open your mind. Stay interested in stuff. There are so many things I won’t live long enough to find out about, but I’m still curious about them.”
I recently received a very profound compliment. An Instagram follower asked me:
"How can I be like you before I'm 60?"
Honestly I had to think about that. What has brought me to this point in my life? If I look backwards I have to say that I have always been curious (because there is much that I don't understand!) and I've always followed my interests. I have rarely compromised for money or conformed entirely to society's norms. I don't do this intentionally. I simply flow with life and one thing always leads to another. When I intentionally take a job for money I end up feeling miserable and eventually fail. I think in these cases I have lasted at most two years, except for driving jobs; taxi and school bus. At least they got me out and about!
It happened that in 2010 my daughter gifted me a bumper sticker that read:
"Don't Postpone Joy"
Thank you Inbal - I love you!
This simple yet very profound bumper sticker changed my life. YES! It was time to put JOY first and foremost in my life. It was time to start living, not just existing.
I've had an incredible life so far. I mentioned that I've come to this point but I didn't say where exactly that is. Who am I today at age 65 that a young Instagram follower is asking me for the formula?
If you read my blog posts you will learn that since January 2018 I've been a "free bird". My amazing children are now independent brilliant young adults. Yes, I raised them essentially singlehandedly. I was devoted to their well-being, to being the one who raised them and would not have ever had it any other way. I always expected they would follow their own paths, their own interests and curiosities. They have. I am super proud of them too. Today they are the ones who are encouraging and supporting me as I live this current life journey and adventure.
I came to South Korea as a tourist. I had traveled previously across the USA and in Europe, Canada, South Africa and lived in Israel. I decided I'd try Asia and the Oceana countries. At this age I travel slowly, settling down for a few months to explore at a natural pace. I ended up loving Busan, a port city in the southern part of South Korea. I worked in an exchange program - language for room & board - and was able to stay there for five months!! I made friends. I loved the ocean and I busked (street singing) to save money. After five months of dormitory living I moved to a "Goshiwon" where I had a private room with shower and fridge. I had to pay rent so I began to look for paid work. This was not easy to find as a tourist. Then something amazing happened.
I was referred to an entertainment agency that represents "foreign talent". Long story short I am now a legal resident and entertainer in South Korea!! It all happened to fast. I'd been in South Korea all of nine months enjoying life as a "traveler" and then in a flash my entire status and life changed. Here I am living in South Korea as an entertainer with a fantastic visa and job opportunities in the career I'd been pursuing since 1976! Truly this was a dream come true.
I didn't mention the power of prayer in all of this. It has perhaps taken me a lifetime together with some recent and very profound experiences to realize that prayer holds within it a very powerful energy and really does create change in the world. It took me until now to finally feel that G-d lives within me too. I'm not talking about religion either. I am simply saying that, for me, traveling, living and experiencing the world has brought me to new levels of spirituality.That's a whole other topic and not for this blog.
We all know that the entertainment world is a "horse of a different color". When I signed on as a foreign talent I entered a new and very exciting phase of my life. I am now working as an "actor, model, musician". I can confidently say that my current job is at a very professional level. This is serious stuff! Let the adventure continue! I'm flying high and higher now!
For my first "gig" I was hired as a voice coach to help guide a class of young elementary aged budding actors in voice acting. My years of training, work and experience with young children, and in musical education, and theater have proved themselves with this job. I was thankful that the production was The Wizard of Oz, a story I know well. I especially love the well defined characters in this story. The script was in English and, under the direction of Mr. JT Kim, the Korean children did a wonderful job in spite of the fact that they do not know much English.
My second gig spoiled me rotten. This was a music video for Taiwanese/Chinese celebrity singer, Wu Tsing Fong. This was the "real thing". A two-day shoot complete with four wardrobe changes, make-up, stylist, and I had a few featured roles even as an "extra". Digipedi, the company that produced the video, is most definitely way up there on the professional ladder. They have produced music videos for some of Korea's well known pop stars. Check it out!! Needless to say I had a blast being treated like a celebrity too. I can only dream of the day that I would be the celebrity singer in the video!!! The video will be released in July 2019. I will include a link at that time.
I enjoyed acting in a one-day shoot for an instructional video for subway staff in Korea. It was very interesting and satisfying to watch the efforts made to keep the "metro" operational and safe. I am honored to have been part of that effort.
I am busy studying up on acting and modeling (at my age!!). I am learning monologues and scripts (oy - my memory...) and brushing up on voice acting, preparing demos, constantly updating my profile, my Instagram, and I am engaged in the ongoing search for 'gigs' - not a new process for me.
I've been to some photo shoots. I'm still a bit timid about that but learning...
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| 9me by Studio RGB |
Stay tuned for future events. Keep an eye out for this major Korean movie production with some top celebrity actors. It's called, "Victory 승리호".
Get out of your comfort zone and live life. Remember: DON'T POSTPONE JOY!!!
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