After my girlfriend of eighteen years dumped me, I took a look back at my life to see what made it worth moving forward. Working as a stagehand for forty years--with musicians such as Prince, Mick Jagger, Tony Bennett, and Michael Jackson, along with actors like Michelle Rodriguez and Will Smith--provided many memorable stories, as did my travels around the world scuba diving, trekking through jungles, and cycling up mountains. There's also the story of learning to be a better person and how to grow in my relationships. I never set out to write a book. I didn't consider my life to be any different from anyone else's. In the beginning, I was just keeping a journal and feeling sorry for myself after my ex left, but then I was inspired by some of the people in my life to write about my past. By the time I finished writing, I began to see that maybe my life was different--not so average. Being a stagehand is challenging--it's hard work. It's not just a job but a way of life. Some people pass through the profession, but for us lifelong technicians, it takes dedication. Long hours, sleep deprivation, and working while sick or under unpleasant conditions are all part of the job. Most of the time, we work in the dark, in the cold, or under the broiling sun. There's a lot of crawling and climbing, a lot of lifting and pushing heavy gear. It's dangerous and dirty. You miss many milestones of family life: holiday gatherings, birthdays, weddings, births, and funerals. But still, I love what I do. My values have always been a bit different. Most people want to earn a lot of money to be considered successful--own a home, have children, drive a new car, and collect lots of expensive stuff. Not me. I just wanted to work with talented and creative people, to make enough money to eat and live indoors. I wanted my life to be adventurous. I wanted to see the world. Most people told me I couldn't live this life, couldn't work the job I wanted. "What will be your fallback job? How will you make real money?" Who cares? I thought. I'll worry about that as I go! Now, more than forty years later, I have a lot of great stories about my adventures, the incredibly creative people I have met along the way, and the places I have been. I haven't become rich. I don't own an expensive home, fancy car, or many possessions; but I have lived many of the dreams I had as a child. This book is more than a collection of stories--it's a call to embrace adventure, defy societal norms, and find fulfillment in experiences rather than material success. "Stagehand" is a must-read for anyone seeking inspiration to chase their dreams, no matter how unconventional.
