I have updated my life, and surprisingly to me...the answer given to the question,''So, what do you do, John?''.
It's a year later. I moved from my home in Scotland to Los Angeles with a small suitcase, leaving all my worldly possessions in my home in Scotland. Based on a weekend spent with two dear friends in LA a year ago last summer, I decided that I might try my hand at acting in front of a camera. Chuck and Megan, the friends, are both casting directors and told me I could work in the industry. I found a very workable room to rent with a young man that is now a dear friend in No Hollywood. The room had the advantages of location, space, good light an proximity to my brother, who lives 12 minutes away! Seemed like a good place to start a new adventure.
Trying something new with my life didn't come quickly. I spent over two years after Margie's death in Scotland wondering what might come next. I don't know if other folks have plans set for when their lives course comes to an end. I didn't. Living successfully with Margie pretty much meant that I lived in the moment. Many people, including myself, think they live in the moment, but they don't. What they do is make decisions on the run about what they might do tonight, or where they might go for the next week. But really living in the moment means you REALLY don't have any plans for next month, next year, five years from now. I actually took me a couple of years with Margie to get to that point, a necessity for us, but her passing did leave me wondering what I might do tonight, the question of the rest of my life on my own was truly the dark side of the moon in my life plan.
So...a year later, a commercial, a pilot for a new series on the Biography Channel, many auditions, many more paintings, a website for my art, some new friends, and two plays with a new and growing repertory theatre company later, I am still enjoying the adventure. I still haven't filled in the blank with what will be happening next year, or five years from now. However, I have found some likely locations for a second home...built an ETSY site for my artwork...want to help some good folks build their theatre company in reputation and scope...am excited about finding some new locations to display my paintings...am much fitter than I was a year ago...confidant and ready for the next audition...am enjoying my daughter and her family, grandsons, my son and his girl friend...and thinking about what I might do tonight. Oh! I have stopped saying, ''I am a retired teacher.'' These days, I have finally started saying to new acquaintances, ''I am an actor and an artist...and a retired teacher.''.
Here are the ETSY site and the Theatre Company.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/GamrieArt , art by John Lambie
http://www.lakearrowheadrep.org/ , theatre company
http://www.lakearrowheadrep.org/ , theatre
