In search of a dream

Walt Grace, desperately hating his old place
Dreamed to discover a new space and buried himself alive
Inside his basement
The tongue on the side of his face meant
He's working away on displacement
And what it would take to survive

'Cause when you're done with this world
You know the next is up to youThis John Mayer tune, third on the playlist today, always gets me thinking about dreams. Following your dream, against the odds, against the naysayers, against those who call you crazy, against those certain you’ll fail. It’s a fantastical, beautiful song. Trouble is, I’ve lost my dream.

 

I don’t mean I’m past pursuing it, though at 47 and comfortable in a career I’ve been in for almost 25 years now and burdened with financial responsibilities it sometimes seems a little fanciful. But the dreams of my youth are not the dreams of my adult self. And my complacency in a comfort-zone career has lulled me into not dreaming. I mean, I have dreams. (Should those be called goals at this stage of life?) But I no longer imagine myself scuba diving for Team Cousteau, scrounging artifacts a la Indiana Jones, driving a tank for the Army or transforming actors into werewolves or zombies.
 



Jack Pierce works on Boris Karloff for "Frankenstein."

That last was one of my biggest career dreams, though I never really pursued it. I was just always fascinated with the creation of monsters and their victims through movie makeup. When Mum would take us to Dave’s Book & Card Shop I’d always pick up the latest “Famous Monsters of Filmland” magazine. I read all about pioneering makeup artist Jack Pierce, who did the effects for the Universal classics: “Dracula,” “Frankenstein,” “The Mummy,” “The Wolf Man” and loads of other films.

Later I discovered the greatness of Rick Baker. “An American Werewolf in London” is all you need to know there. Pioneer for a new era of filmmaking. The transformation of David Naughton into a werewolf, in which Jack Pierce’s static, hair-by-hair process on Lon Chaney Jr. is traded for a realistic, violent, painful transfiguration, is one of those events that changes an industry.

 

But I never followed that dream. Never built on the dream by learning the craft through school and community theater, or even by practicing on my kid sister at Halloween.

 



Rick Baker, right, and David Naughton, left.

I’ve no desire to build my own one-man submarine like Walt Grace. My happiest jobs were seasonal posts out West – Philmont Scout Ranch, Yellowstone National Park. Hard to make a living that way, at least at this stage. So I’ll keep running down my dream. I think I’ll find it, despite its elusiveness.


Today's Stats

Temp: 48 degrees F

Distance: 3.74 miles

Weekly Total: 7.85 miles

Treasure: Nothing.

iPod Playlist (Shuffle):

Don’t Stop – Fleetwood Mac

Here Comes the Sun – The Beatles

Walt Grace’sSubmarine Test, January 1967 – John Mayer

Rachel’s Song (live) – James McMurtry

When Will You Come Back Home (live) – Ryan Adams

The Fool – Trampled Under Foot

Africa – Toto

Exit – U2