Have you ever had a true passion for a concept? What if you couldn’t figure out how to bring that concept to reality? What if that passion had been with you for your whole life?
That’s the quandary I face every day. The answer is out there, somewhere. Now, all I have to do is find it.
Perhaps it would help if I described my passion. The concept is simple, really. I yearn to entertain. To make people smile. Or laugh. Or think. I wish to amuse and inspire. I wish to make the world a bit happier a place.
This passion within me is far from new. It showed itself before I was even old enough to understand it. At age three, my parents took me to a magical place. Immediately, I recognized that place as a symbol of joy. People were smiling, laughing, having fun. That place was an amusement park named Cedar Point. Even at age three, I knew I wanted to be a part of spreading such joy. During that first visit, I told my parents, “Someday, I’m going to work here.” The concept was born.
As I grew, I felt I knew my calling. I wanted to be an amusement park designer. I wanted to create the fun. I sketched ride concepts. The artwork was crude, but the designs were sound. Later, I found that others had the same ideas. The difference, however, is that they had the means to bring the concepts to life. Meanwhile, I was still in high school.
The time came for college. The passion remained. Now was the time to provide it with a direction. What would that direction be?
Perhaps I could have been an actor. There was just one minor detail. I was terrified of the stage.
How about a singer? It wasn’t a likely option. I can’t sing. I can’t even carry a tune. I can’t even carry a radio.
What about a musician? Oh, I adored playing the trumpet, and I still do. Yet, I knew my musical ability was, at best, mediocre.
Athletes can also entertain. I played in all sorts of sports. Too bad I didn’t have a talent for any of them. To this day, I jokingly refer to myself as the World’s Worst Athlete. No doubt, that’s why I’m always recovering from some injury.
There really wasn’t much doubt. I knew where my talents were. Analytical thinking was clearly my strength. As a result, there seemed but one choice – engineering. I reasoned that, as an engineer, I could design the attractions that would bring pleasure to the world.
I entered college with a firm focus. I was going to design the future of fun. Along the way, I grasped a taste of my passion. The prophecy of a three year old came true. For four summers, I worked at Cedar Point. It was my job to distribute the fun.
Those summers were wonderful. In a small way, I was living my passion. Had those summers happened while in high school, I may have taken a far different career direction. I was placed on a microphone. I was alone, in front of thousands of people. In that setting, I quickly overcame my fear of the stage, and actually grew to adore being in front of a crowd. Had I known earlier, perhaps I would have seriously investigated a career in acting. However, by this time, I was well on my way to an engineering degree. I still believed I could be a designer of rides.
Graduation approached. I contacted over four hundred firms related to entertainment engineering. I didn’t receive even as much as a nibble from any of them. I was disappointed, but not concerned. I figured, in time, I would get into just the right firm. I went to work in the auto industry, waiting for my chance. Many years and hundreds of résumés later, I started to seek alternatives.
I designed a personal site on the World Wide Web. Over the years, several thousand people have enjoyed that site, but the impact was not as great as I desired. On a whim, totally out of the blue, I wrote a poem. I posted it on the Internet. Quite a few people responded to that poem, telling me that they were moved by my words. Those responses encouraged me to create some more verse.
However, I quickly began to feel a bit limited. Poetry was a great way to share my emotions, but I wished to allow other creative juices to flow. I attempted a short story. “The Old Russian” wasn’t a great story, but, like the poetry, it received some positive responses. So, I tried another story. And I wrote more poems. And my website grew.
This path showed signs of promise, but, to date, my passion remains unfulfilled. I believe I have brought smiles to the faces of thousands, if but for a moment. Yet, my passion is to entertain millions.
While waiting to find my way, I keep my dreams alive through a variety of methods. I continue to write stories and poems. I joke around with my friends and coworkers. I visit the amusement parks, the symbols of my passion, and ride attractions similar to those that I wish to someday design.
Meanwhile, I continue to search for an answer; one which will bring
my passion from concept to reality. Perhaps it shall be through writing.
Maybe I’ll find a way to act. Even a chance as a comedian might be
in the future. Or, perhaps, my initial dream of designing amusement
rides will finally spring to life. There is but one thing I know
for certain. As long as there is breath in my body, I shall pursue
my passion to entertain.