Recently finished a biography on Andy Kaufman.
Mind blowing. He was truly one of a kind.
More importantly, he was fiercely committed to being who he was, performing the act and doing the things he did no matter what people thought of him.
And he struggled and took a lot of shit because of that.
He believed in himself, believed even as a child that he would make it in show biz. His way and on his own terms.
He pushed things as far as he could push them, often making his audiences and the people who paid him feel uncomfortable.
He was happiest when he made people squirm because it was proof positive that he was defying show biz cliches and truly performing an original act.
Although there are legitimate questions as to whether or not he even considered it an act.
He was deeply sensitive. This makes me admire him even more for having the strength and the courage to get up on stage and defy convention in order to remain true to himself.
Cancer cut him down at the age of 35. I believe that was the price he paid for struggling as he did. When you fight back as hard as he had to against life itself, against what people expect, what people try to force you to do, you burn out. Life will make you pay when you defy convention.
Segue: Big Papi.
I have been digging on David Ortiz as he kicks ass and spreads his love in his final season of baseball.
Unfuckingbelievable.
This is a man with balls of steel and the biggest heart in sports.
He is the definition of clutch and the definition of tough. If a pitcher messes with his head, if Big Papi gets beat one time at the plate you can be goddamn sure he will have his revenge.
With style and grace and triumph and a sly smile.
Yet he can walk over to the stands and effortlessly connect with a young fan in a genuine way. As a real, down to earth and sensitive human being.
As opposed to many athletes today who cannot avoid coming across as insincere because they are so far removed from the life of an every day human.
You cannot help but love David Ortiz. You cannot help but respect him. A unique man in today's sports world, one that all other athletes should emulate.
But they won't. Because he is unique; because they don't care.
These are two radically different lives. Two very different people.
Each is a blueprint for how to live.
The lesson to me is that you gotta live your life. Every thing you say and do should be an expression of what is unique to your soul.
Strangely enough, this is easier said than done.
We get lost. And our lives have no meaning.
This, sadly, is an eternal dilemma, evident since the beginnings of mankind.
The proof is there in the deepest poetry, a poignant song lyric, the most thoughtful literature. Any and every reflective creative expression ever put forth by the most creative and insightful people on the planet.
Why?
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