05 Dec 2016 End of the Year, Wrap-Up
A couple of months back, I scrolled through Facebook and saw a comment that read: “The way we live, we fit a lot of life in a year.”
Reading that made me pause and think.
2016 was a year filled with so many events, that I feel like I’ve experienced three years worth of life in the measly twelve months that have passed. In return, I gave 2016 a piece of my heart, when I bid farewell to my beloved grandmother and spoke at her service. My heart was poured into my writing, as I reflected on the never-ending memories between my dearly departed friend, Chyna and I. And, as I watched my convertible drive away for the last time, my heart was filled with bittersweet sentiment. Similarly, a sentiment of nostalgia swept over me when I dropped off three hundred books (from my own personal library) to an overwhelmingly appreciative Long Beach book drive coordinator.
Yes, 2016 was a year where I said some goodbyes. But I fit a lot of life into 2016 by also living it up. Whether travelling to Isla de Mujeres in Mexico, or celebrating the nuptials of a friend at her outdoor wedding, I savored living.
Reflecting back on the year, it seems the stage had a recurrent presence in my life. I watch a beloved friend sing on the DNC stage. I celebrated with the cast of HAMILTON on stage after the Tony Awards. I sat stage-side while Barbra Streisand sang in concert. I shared stories and laughed with Joel McHale on the stage of his television show: THE GREAT INDOORS. And, I made my mark by performing on a makeshift stage for a friend’s night of play readings in Silverlake.
This past year also brought many fond anecdotes that involve having shopped in unusual places. I shopped through the closets of interesting celebrities: Charlton Heston, Jimmy Kimmel, Melanie Griffith and Oprah Winfrey. In fact, one of my prized possessions is a silver ring that was offered up for sale by Diane Keaton. My most unusual shopping experience was leaving a Phoenix pawn shop with an old Spanish Conquistador helmet.
This year was also a year where I experienced many “firsts”. From starting an Instagram account, to live-streaming online, to providing inspiration for a men’s leather accessories brand, this is the year that I can say “I’ve done that”. I was also photographed for a film playing an “Espionage Asian Business Man.” And I found myself the victim of a comedic mishap having lost Tom Hardy (whom I was accompanying backstage at the Oscars), only to reconnect with him by yelling his name though several stalls in the men’s restroom.
My life is never ordinary. Occasionally, I can classify my experiences as unusual, disturbing or embarrassing. As I walked the galleries of LACMA seeing works by Mapplethorpe, I was disturbed. When I found myself fishing out $150.00 from a dumpster in Quartzite (thanks to me accidentally discarding it), I was embarrassed. In March, I waited patiently to hear that my dog Rocco would be okay after his dental surgery. And, in June, I was crushed with tears hearing about the Orlando massacre at Pulse night club.
This past year marked the twenty-year milestone of my living in Los Angeles. Despite two decades in L.A., my life is still never dull. Clearly there are many moments in this past year that I’ve cried from confusion over occurrences in this world. There are also countless moments that I lived in the moment, thanking God for what he has given to me. Whether I experience good or bad, I try to always see the glass half full.I know that life is just that: life. There are twelve months to a year. It is what we do with a year that creates our reality. I am thankful that I got to have another year under my belt. It’s a year that I fit a lot of life into.