Spit or Swallow

 PRIDE is a funny, funny thing America, and since this is apparently the weekend to show it, I'm left questioning what it means to me.

Whow, what is this, a college essay? To be honest, I just had a spare moment between episodes of RuPaul's Drag Race and it got me thinking...


I spent this morning with 4 old friends from Northwestern. All of us are currently on different life paths at different points of success in our chosen careers.

One of us is embarking on a year of world travel, another runs almost the entirety of Chicago theater marketing. The third found a passion for non-profit at AIDS Walk, the fourth writes to help women better their lives.

And those are just the friends I had brunch with.

While I was writing this, two friends sent me their new campaign video to help encourage young Americans to vote. 

...and I just returned from two months of fagging out on a stage in Dayton, OH toting around a trombone.

I would say I am incredibly proud of my friends. Hell, they all have their own bedrooms which would have been enough for me.


But I feel like (especially in the case of fagging out on a stage with a trombone) I spend most of my time swallowing my pride instead of feeling it.

But I think that's what makes me ME

TJB

my shameless ability to swallow my pride and put myself out there in a way that makes others feel a little uncomfortable...incredibly uncomfortable in the case of my grandmother (and a slew of Christian Ohioans who weren't sure what to do with my sass) is what I'm most proud of.

In fact, in the case of this blog alone, my PRIDE has been publicly swallowed almost 25,000 times. 

and I'm proud of that.

I know some people read my blog and hate what I do...or at least if this blog were written by another actor and I read it, I would probably hate what they do...

but to them I say:

be proud of what YOU do.

A great mentor once taught me that in order to make it in The Biz, you have to know exactly why you're in this biz whether it's to create social change or make a lot of money.

Someone recently asked me why I chose to be an actor. Caught off guard, the only reply I could think of  was "because it makes me happy". The person seemed unsatisfied and said, "well, then, what's your end game? What's your goal?"

which I've always known.

If I can inspire just one person to do what makes them happy regardless of feeling like they need to give another person  a reason for why...well...that's something to be proud of.


............and to make a lot of money..............

Time to swallow my pride in some short shorts,

TJB: Making It