Hey everyone! I was shocked when I got the "you won" email. With over 25,000 of us, I never really thought I'd be chosen.
Some things I think everyone should know/do in life:
1) Do theater!
I can't stress this enough. I started doing musical theater late (in my early 20s), and it also happened to be one of the worst times in my life. I had just lost a younger brother during my first show. I got into theater because of my love of music and singing. I wasn't a very confident person during those years, but my voice teacher insisted I audition for a show. So I did, and was cast in "West Side Story" and it literally changed my life. I became more confident in myself, I got out of my depression, and I met some of the most amazing people i'd ever meet. I met most of my lifelong friends in theater. There was something uplifting about being around so many people that have the same love and passion for the arts as I did. Theater was my therapy. I performed for almost 10 years in the San Francisco bay area and fit in a show whenever I can (I am now a self employed stay at home dad, so making it to rehearsals is tough these days. Haha).
3) Suicide sucks
This one is going to get a bit personal. I survived suicide twice. Now, you're probably thinking I was the one that attempted suicide... You're wrong though. My father committed suicide when I was a baby, and my step father committed suicide when I was 14. Being someone that had to pick up the pieces emotionally was devastating. I spent most of my childhood trying to keep myself and my family intact. Because of their selfish choice, I lost out on my childhood and my teen years. I'm not going to go too into detail though, it's pretty personal. I just want all of you that have been through the same thing to know, that you are not alone. I am in my mid 30s and still trying to recover from the losses I've had in my life. You can never recover 100% when someone you love takes their own life.
4) Star Trek is not for nerds/geeks
Star trek was/is one of the most well written shows ever created. It transcends generations. It is so forward thinking and amazing everyone should watch it. From the technology, the thought of a moneyless way of living, and the integration of all species, it was/is way ahead of its time. Gene Roddenberry created an amazing world within Star Trek, and I for one am thrilled that they re imagined it! The new films are a great mix of action and star trek lore. My favorite series is TNG and I hope they someday re imagine it as well
Lastly, I want to thank my old Apple co-worker Tim Kretchmer for turning me on to "The Serve". I have really enjoyed reading everyone else’s messages. I hope some of you can take something positive away from my message.
If any of you are in the San Francisco bay area, look me up. I do photography, video, digital audio, event DJing, graphic design, and build custom "Hackintosh" computers (now that I no longer work for Apple). I love making new contacts and meeting new people. Feel free to drop me a line anytime. My website is the same as my email "Omnisonas"
Take care everyone, and thanks for reading my entry in the listserve
Jonathan Ayers
[email protected]
Pacheco, Ca