WTH!!!! Not only is New Year's upon us but the end of the decade is here. WOW!!! I guess I hadn't quite realized that. The last turn of the decade found me on the sofa at my Granny's house fearing Y2K instead of out somewhere partying like it was 1999! LOL! Let's see back then I had just completed my first few months as assistant sports information director at Purdue. I didn't know for sure what I wanted to do with my life but I didn't think Indiana was the place I'd spend my life (maybe being stuck in the snow one too many times confirmed that). Over the last 10 years I've grown a ton, experienced a lot, racked up a lot of debt and had a ball. So today I want to take a look back at the decade. Here are the things that stand out the most for me as I think back ...
A look back at 2000-2009
2000 - I moved to Indiana in August of 1999 to work at Purdue and only knew my roommate who was my line sister from college (who just so happened to have gotten accepted to grad school there). In 2000, I stepped out of my comfort zone and attempted to make friends. It was a great decision. My strongest connection was to one of my best friends Karla. She's awesome - since she was in grad school as well as my roommate, through the two of them I began to connect with their friends (Josey and Lorna soon followed and the four of us became The Hot Girls - literally got a shot named after us! LOL!). Then there's Kendra (remember her She Makes Me Wanna?). Hanging w/K and her crew (her now hubby Pleas, BFFs Brandon, Tricey and Kristen) made me feel like I was experiencing undergrad all over again. Then I had awesome co-workers. So the highlight of '00 was really connecting with the folk in my new community.More...
2001 - September 11. The biggest change I saw in myself as a result was no longer being comfortable. It created an urgency inside of me. It also made me really REALLY want to be in love. When I'd hear the calls from the plane it made me feel so lonely. If I had been in that position,who would I have called?
2002 - Still unsettled from 9-11 I figured I'd make a move. I applied to law schools and was accepted to Thurgood Marshall in Houston. I really wanted to go to IU but I was wait listed. While waiting I moved to Chicago and stayed with my cousin. One night I went out with my "boo" who worked in a suburb near by. We drank too much and for some reason I let him drive. We ended up crashed into a light pole. That sobered me up and I happily went to school in Houston.
2003 - I was convinced my future was in entertainment so I vowed to be as active as I could wherever I lived en route to L.A. (I'd always wanted to live in 'Cali so my goal was to be as prepped as I possibly could be.) I got an intern at Music World Entertainment, home of Ms. Beyonce Knowles! It was a great experience but the fact I got "fired" because I said I knew someone that used to work there let me know this business will go on with or w/o you! That experience spurred me to learn as much as I could about the inside biz of Hollywood. I read every book written on the subject and devised a plan. I developed CHUTZPAH!
2004 - 10 years following my high school graduation and I can't remember the highlight of that year ...
2005 - 
I moved to L.A.! I was living my dream. After crashing at Mistie's for a month or so, I got my first place in Koreatown (not quite my dream but it was perfect!). I LIVED in L.A. I bartended until September when my friend Brandi introduced me to Vincent Cirrincione ... and the rest is history! I was traveling like crazy in '05- fav spot Miami. I got to go to the VMAs there in Aug of that year. My flight was the last one let into the city b/c of Hurricane Katrina. My friends and I KICKED it and made jokes that we partied through a hurricane. But on Monday when I woke up back in L.A. it was horrific to see the devastation. CRAZY!
I moved to L.A.! I was living my dream. After crashing at Mistie's for a month or so, I got my first place in Koreatown (not quite my dream but it was perfect!). I LIVED in L.A. I bartended until September when my friend Brandi introduced me to Vincent Cirrincione ... and the rest is history! I was traveling like crazy in '05- fav spot Miami. I got to go to the VMAs there in Aug of that year. My flight was the last one let into the city b/c of Hurricane Katrina. My friends and I KICKED it and made jokes that we partied through a hurricane. But on Monday when I woke up back in L.A. it was horrific to see the devastation. CRAZY!
2006 -
The big 3.0.!
In celebration a host of my friends and I went back to Miami! I was surrounded by laughs and love! Later in December my friend Kendra took me and Brandon to London to see Jay-Z!!! CRAZY! (I think it was the highlight of the decade for me!)
The big 3.0.!
In celebration a host of my friends and I went back to Miami! I was surrounded by laughs and love! Later in December my friend Kendra took me and Brandon to London to see Jay-Z!!! CRAZY! (I think it was the highlight of the decade for me!)
2007 - I got my first movie credit!!! YAY! I started working for my former boss David at Brillstein during July of 2007. He was producing FIRST SUNDAY and my first day of work was the first day of shooting. I assisted him throughout filming but didn't think about credits, I was just doing my job. Well the next January I invited my little cousin Ashley as my plus one. At the end when everyone is sitting there during the credits my name popped up on the screen as assistant to the producer!!
2008 - My 22 year old cousin lost her 3 1/2 month battle with cancer. This made me really evaluate what was going on in my life. I was not happy and moving closer to my Granny was the objective. However, when I lost my job that Oct., I was not sure New Orleans was the place for me. Luckily I came anyway.
2009 - My first year in da N.O. (ya heard me!). So many memories but I guess the highlight was working my first physical production job
What are some of your personal highlights of the decade?
4 comments:
Aside from meeting my Sister Smith, need I even mention a wedding AND a baby? Whudda thunk it?
I can remember exactly where I was when this awful decade came into being. Believe it or not, when I rang in the new year on January 1, 2000, not only was I stone-cold sober - I was at church! My then-girlfriend and I attended a special midnight mass at the local Catholic church to welcome in, not only a new decade, but a new century and a new millennium. I remember feeling filled with optimism. By entering this new era, I felt, we could wipe the slate clean. Maybe this would be a new age of peace, love, brother and sisterhood. EVERYBODY SING!
This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius!
Age of Aquarius!
Aquariusuuuuus!
How utterly naive on my part, huh? By year's end, all of that hope was out the window and into the toilet. In December of 2000, an ideologically perverted Supreme Court would assist in a stolen election by stopping the vote count in the state of Florida, installing a corrupt little frat boy with the I.Q. of a half-eaten box of Milk Duds as president of the United States. It was all downhill from that moment on. From the birth of "Reality Television" to the worst attack on American soil since the Civil War, it was quite a strange ten years to say the least. Thankfully this awful decade is a mere three days away from being forever consigned to history's scrap heap. Hallelujah.
http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com
Tom Degan
wow! what a decade. lots of excitement and traveling! i hope 2010 is everything you want it to be and so much more!!!
i did a quick decade recap as well :) and thank you for your comment over on my new blog. you are far too sweet.
Personal highlight of the decade: hands down is the of my now 8yr old son, Kal-El Rashaard Randall. When I tell u that words can't describe the love that I have for him....it's wonderful. He is wonderful and(this is sooo cliche' of parents but..) I know he'll be special. This is the reason I had to name him after Superman. Because he's my "Lil Supe". Is he spoiled? Yes but more so by his mom than by me. She spoils him in a sense of babying him all the time, treating like he's still 2yrs old or something. I spoil him by getting him whatever he wants when he excels academically. Needless to say, he's on the honor roll and because of this, has every videogame system thats out there, the little nerd. But he's a cool nerd like I was up until little girls started liking me (about 10th grade). He makes me proud to be a father. My lil dude.
Kirkland Raynell
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