Episode 42: Dear 18 year old Don

 Dear 18 year old Don,

I'm sure you're curious where you're at right now 20 years later. Yeah, you're 38 now... First off I'm sorry about Chelsea. I know its super fresh but you'll get through it. Lay off that World of Warcraft, yeah? I recommend writing because it'll be the first time you actually saw the value in journaling.  And what you write you're going to turn in for an assignment and you end your paper with this line,

"Chelsea and I might not be together but she is happy and THAT is all that matters to me." I'm proud that you thought that way and I continue to have that sentiment. At the end of the day isn't that what matters most? That people are happy? Figuring out what they truly want? Unfortunately you're dealing with heartbreak right now and it's worse but you're better equipped for it.

Things to look forward to, is that you have amazing friends. You built a network of people that you can truly rely on. You continue to take risks and push forward. Heartbreak is not the only setback you experience. You will have a challenging time as a behavioral therapist, a processor on a fishing boat, as a teacher, and in almost everything you do. BUT all of this is just character growth. I really believe that you would be proud of the person that we've become.

I know, you probably assumed that we'd have our own family by now. To be perfectly honest though, you're not ready yet. You're currently pursuing your dreams and I sure the opportunity will present itself once you're ready. But for right now, enjoy the journey because its a good one.

Sincerely,

Present Don

Episode 41: Don, can you just please?!

Hey Don,

I hate to be blunt, but you're pathetic. I need you to have a little more self respect for yourself. I know,  you saw her today so you're a wreck but how can you allow someone who doesn't care about you have so much control over you?  She wasn't happy, so she cut you out so you need to do the same too. I know I know, easier said than done.  I wish I could guarantee that you'll find the person you're looking for but I can't. What I can guarantee is that it's not Alice. 

She broke up with you.  You flew to Boston to win her back and nothing happened. You tried to talk to her again at Masters Nationals, and guess what?! She was not happy to see you. You NEED to let her go. It is obvious that she wants nothing to do with you and you're not going to find the answers you're looking for and you probably never will. But you knew that already.

But I'm proud of you. 

You've made such strides this year.  You've had over 150 auditioned this calendar year and we're still in October.  You've started auditioning for student films and memorizing lines is actually fun for you now. You booked a voiceover gig on a HUGE videogame that you're not even allowed to talk about for another month! This is your most successful year in acting by far.  It's funny,  you're so sad right now but it's also given you so much motivation to tell your story and looking for characters and projects that reflect those feelings because YOU have a story and you WANT to tell it. You've realized that you've been comfortable and need to stretch yourself TO GROW. Maybe the relationship was holding you back?

I haven't even started talking about youth ultimate! I know it doesn't feel like it but you've done so much.  Have you had set backs? YES!  But now you have more direction and a plan on how to grow youth ultimate.  You took swings and you missed but you learned from those misses. You've nurtured new relationships with other programs with a true direction.  Tomorrow you start your daily classes at an all girls school to grow girls playing ultimate! Dude, you're killing it!  I know that you're burned out and that you don't have a lot of people helping you but you're molding more than just a program.  You're creating a community with a vision and building programs with spirit of the game as a center piece.  You have a player centered approach to coaching and programming and that is something that youth sports dearly needs.  Today you had one of the first kids you ever coached come up to you and tell you, "Don, I'm older than when you first started coaching me when I was 9".  You started coaching him when you were 22 and now he's 25. That's insane!

I know I started off this letter saying that you're pathetic but be more kind to yourself... yeah?

Sincerely,

You