"I find I'm so excited I can barely sit still to hold a thought in my head..."
-Red

 

Countdown Entry #1

 
7:38 PM, Sunday, December 26th, 1999:
 
Fellow Online Supporters,
 
There's simply too much to say. I've lived in Columbus my whole life. Hell, up until a few months ago, every time I moved I was still in the same zip code. I've been married, divorced, had two careers in radio and then some. At 21 I felt like I was 41 and my success in radio almost kept me here that long. I was soooooo close to becoming a lifer and in the blink of an eye I'm giving it all up to pursue singing/entertaining/acting...the California dream. I'm still shaking my head. I'm finally going to seperate myself from so many dreamers in the world and DO IT. I guess that brings me to that quote above. I've attached a short mpg for everyone to watch. It's only 362 KB - I compressed it pretty strong so you can all see it. Morgan Freeman in Shawshank Redemption. I watched it a couple of days ago and it absolutely floored me how this quote applies to me. It was exactly how I feel, and exactly where I am in life right now. I don't think I've ever heard a quote that hit me so close to home. He talks about being a "free man" and I have to admit that for the first time I feel the same. In the sense that I avoided the "comfort trap" of radio and I now go off to a new land (although I was COMPLETELY established and successful here) ready to achieve a different level of success.
 
So how did the last show go? Heh heh... You HAVE to check out the site. (the blogs were not always emailed to the supporters back then) It was rather funny. It was by far the worst show ever. EVER. Drunk assholes telling me I sucked after every song. It soon became me changing all the words to say how happy I was to be leaving this redneck city and I must admit, I had more fun singing the last two sets than I ever have since I started. Heh heh. Thank you to Jim and his brother (sorry I never forgot your name!) for coming out. I will always remember that you made the trek to my last show on Christmas Eve. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
 
Of course from this point on there will probably be quite a few updates. Many of you have emailed me more excited than I am about the trip. And yes Jill, I will try to bring my computer to the HOTELS we stay at and update you on the road. To all of you it should be a very cool, real-time soap opera of an amazing adventure. And to me, you will all be my talking diary. You gotta reply! In numerous cases your words of encouragement have simply meant the world to me. And the fact that I can write these little entries and have the book talk back to me is....hmmmm.... That certainly seems like a good idea for a book doesn't it. All the entries and replies on the road to success. Well shit, that's added incentive for you to write back....you'll all be in a book!!! :-)
 
So there ya have it, I must now begin filling up my trailer and packing up my dreams. PLEASE watch the .mpg I sent you. Oh, and FREAKIN' see Shawshank Redemption. It's one of my favorite movies of all time.
 
By the way - I'll have my computer up and running until Thursday morning (the 31st) so please reply with any "beginnings of the book" you can think of.
 
Thank you for all your words, and HOURS of listening...YOU made this possible...
 
LATE Columbus,
 
adam
 
REACTION
 
DECEMBER 1999