SNOW FALLING ON BIGFOOT ON MARS

It's snowing here in Denver. I always take snow as a sign to write, for a multitude of reasons. First, and most likely foremost (but that is up for debate, as my mind is a maelstrom of reasons and memory, songs and quote, movie clips and fantasies.  Be that as it may, and regardless of what is indeed foremost in my brain today) the snow speaks to me and says "keep writing" because I find snow magic and rare due to growing up in San Jose, CA. I've written about this a lot, and my latest screenplay is all about that, among other things. 

Also, one of my great mentors who has gone on to other lands lives in the snow, speaks to me through the snow, and repeats his last words to me, which were "keep writing". 

On top of that, at the end of It's a Wonderful Life, which has been my go to movie since I was in fifth grade and happened upon it one afternoon all by my lonesome and was completely swept away, when George Bailey finally wants his life back, he goes to the bridge where he tried to end it all, and starts to cry, and pleads for his life back. And it starts to snow. And that to me was a sign of providence. Of mercy. 

Also, snow is cool.

So snow tells me to write, and I obey. 

I write everyday anyway, pretty much. Although this past year has been strange in patterns and schedules and life in general. Even so, in this past year of global pandemic; massive protests against racial injustice; economic fear; selling the house I grew up in and dealing with all the ghosts that come with such an endeavor; an election that seemed to last forever culminating in the sacking of the Capitol by a bunch of seemingly brainless zealots- even with all that, snow gives me a sense of magic possibility. Of hope. 

Today, I think I will work on one of my Bigfoot projects, a storyline that was born as an alternate to what we ended up going with for a feature I worked on. 

Yes, I said feature. Sounds pretentious. But it's a fact, and I got to join the WGA because of said project, and I am rather proud of that. So there it is. A feature I worked on. 

Anyhow, I have this other idea in my maelstrom, and it would like to come out and play. 

And some jack ass in Oklahoma is trying to pass a law making it legal to hunt Bigfoot. Which really pisses me off. (click HERE for an article about it)

So Bigfoot needs some love. So peace. Some understanding. 

And a guy who finds snow magic to write about him.

Of course, Bigfoot is not a singular male person. It's a species. They are all over the world, if you believe the shows on Discovery, History, Travel Channel, and so on.

I do. 

I think Bigfeet travel between worlds, and appear to inspire us. To restore our sense of wonder and mystery. 

I wonder, when we start to colonize Mars and other planets, if the universe will provide us with mythological, cryptozoological beasts on our new worlds. 

I hope so. 

I think we need a bit of magical thinking, a bit of life to remain unexplained. 

And I'd much rather believe in Bigfoot than the Big Lie that led the zealots to the Capitol.

Also, if believing in Bigfoot ever leads me to think it's a good thing to storm a building and try and kill people, I will rethink my belief system.

Here's a song. It's I Believe by R.E.M.

SEPTEMBER'S COMING SOON, AND PINING FOR THE MOON

It's an R.E.M. kind of day. Take a walk, do some gardening, clean the house, and listen to Automatic for the People or Murmur or whatever floats your boat. I opted for Automatic and as Mister Stipe told me he would try not to breathe, I thought of the future, of what will be after all this is done. The fires and the protests and the election and the virus. Who will we be then? What will we have learned? How will it inform our decisions? I hope we listen to scientists more. Love more. Hug more. Appreciate being in a room with a friend more. I hope realize that if we think the virus is a drag, the coming environmental crisis is going to be like ten times worse. I hope we change. Evolve. Grow. That we don't exhume McCarthy. Rather, we channel the spirits of Roosevelt (Teddy or FDR, either will do) and Susan B. Anthony. We need to get our act together. We need to end our addiction to fossil fuels. We need to rethink our entire economic system. We need to grow the fuck up and take care of this beautiful planet. As far as I know, it's the only one we have. 

And if the aliens land, let's make them glad they did. 

I want to sit in a crowded movie theatre.

I want to go to a concert at Red Rocks.

I want to see some theatre in a packed house on opening night, when half the audience are friends and family and everyone goes crazy when the house lights fade.

I want to go to Disneyland. I know, they're corporate jerk offs. I cant' help it. I dig it.

I want this thing to be over. 

And I want everyone to be well. To be healthy and alive. And unafraid.

So I pay attention to what is happening. I walk the neighborhood. I say hello to strangers. I read as many different news sources as I can online. But I really don't need any newspaper or show to tell me things are messed up. The sky is thick with smoke. Everyone looks anxious. And after that brief bit of time during the lockdown when we got to see nature unbridled, I am certain we need to the world to be like that all the time. I have had enough traffic jams, ozone alerts, oil spills, extinctions, ice cap meltings, thank you very much.

I made my way through Automatic, Green, and a bit or Monster. It was sublime. 

Here's a song. It's You Are the Everything by R.E.M., natch.