July 23, 2015: It has been years since I've been wanting to get a tattoo.  I did not want to have just "anything" like a pretty picture or design.  It would have to have a special meaning.  I finally found it.  When I saw it, I knew it was me. 

;

The semi colon is used when a sentence could have ended, but didn't.  My life. There were so many times that it could have ended - by will or by accident or by my youth's imbecility; but it did not end.  I've persevered and made some of my wishes come true.  Success where I thought there could have been none, dreams where I thought could not be had. 

The tattoo is a reminder that I go on. I still have a lot of projects and dreams to be realized.  There are more envelopes to be pushed. For every headache, for every resistance I've faced, for every moment my focus has been interrupted, for every time my will seemed to have been broken, for every time I start over again and again, for the sleepless nights of finding how to do my what's next, for every time I've been excluded - my sentence never ends. It's a job, but someone's gotta do it.

July 4, 2015:  I received an unexpected gift. There are times when I ask myself why do I do what I do?  Yeah, yeah – it’s the passion, the love of the arts and all the selfish reasons why someone would go through all the rejections, heartaches, headaches and financial stress to put something out there…to be remembered, to touch someone’s heart if only for a moment, to give new breath to a story that may have been forgotten. I hold the belief that theatre is a living archive of history and of the human condition.

It was on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009 when I closed what I didn’t know to be my last theatrical act as Director & Producer. That Sunday was the closing show of BENT by Martin Sherman, produced by Altera Vitae Productions, my (now sleeping) theatre production company. I loved producing and directing that play, the cast, the crew, the administration of it. I had finally felt a footing in Montreal's theatre community. But to those of you who’ve known me from my theatre days - you know that my music has taken flight & has taken a bigger place in my artistic endeavours. 

To my utmost surprise, on July 3 2015 (c. 6 years after the production closed), I received an email from someone who saw BENT.  It was a THANK YOU message. She came to the play alone and walked out with new friends who she still keeps in touch with today now that she no longer lives in Montreal.  She was touched by the production, remembers it and shares it even after all these years.

So as per her request, I say to the cast & crew, “A job well done, Guys. To be remembered for work done after a long period of time is a rare gift. Always treasure it."

Just for today, I've done my job.