Oct 01 2008
Unwritten
I was enjoying my drive into work this morning. The weather had finally changed and it was the first nice morning we have had after a slew of rainy days, and the warmth of the sun was invigorating. I had my sunroof and windows open as I was being gently caressed by the cool air as I peacefully made my way into work. I had stopped at a red light and I was daydreaming a bit when the sound wafted into my ears, caught my attention, and brought me back to reality; “I am unwritten, can’t read my mind, I’m undefined/I’m just beginning, pen’s in my hand, ending unplanned…”
Let me digress for a moment and start at the beginning. In the summer of 2007, I was up late one night with a severe case of writer’s block. My mind was blank but my heart was racing like I had something to say; a surge of adrenalin and inspiration combined with the inexplicable inability to put down on paper what was so vivid in my imagination. I was frustrated. It was midnight and I was wide awake, yet unable to write.
So I threw myself down on the couch, grabbed the clicker and searched for anything that was worthwhile to watch in the middle of the night. As I perused the guide, I caught the title of a movie I hadn’t seen in years. It was Keenen Ivory Wayans I’m Gonna Git You Sucka and in one of the final scenes, Bernie Casey’s character, John Slade, is walking into a battle with the bad guys and as he prepares to face the villains, he is being followed around by a group of musicians. The appearance of the rappers during the preparation for battle scene prompted Keenen Ivory Wayans character, Jack Spade, to engage in the following conversation:
Jack Spade: [looks at musicians] who are these guys?
John Spade: They’re my theme music. Every hero’s got to have some.