Balloons, Desire, and Sex and the City

Question: What do balloons, desire,  sex and the city have in common?

Answer:   Attraction.  A gravitational pull.  A force to be reckoned with immediately.

I'm the tall gal in the back. Sex and the City The Movie Credit: http://www.usmagazine.com

This week marked the beginning of the next chapter of Sex and the City The Movie (2).  An open casting call brought out the ugly side of some of the prettiest people.  Crazy fans cut in line more than I’ve ever seen anywhere … including elementary school.  They needed their shot at the big-screen.

Here’s my deal:  I’m not an actress.  I do not want to be an actress.  I would be dreadful, actually.  I do like a challenge, and I am curious. I heard about the SATC open call 2 years ago, and I couldn’t resist.  I was thrilled to be a part of the first movie as an extra.  I felt like it was Take-Your-Daughter-To-Work-Day, but I wasn’t Cattral’s kid.  I observed when I wasn’t “acting”.

Beyond the agony of wearing 3.5 inch-heels for a full day, I devoured every second of the opportunity.  And frankly, I would have been blocked out of the final movie clip if I wasn’t wearing my supa-heels.  No pain, no gain.

Despite my dislike of line-cutters, I am drawn to people that instinctively follow their compulsion.   Yes, there are bad cravings (violence, cocaine, etc.), but I’m addressing the good kind: the trip you’re longing for, the mountain you need to hike, or the painting you need to create.

Larry Walters was a man who longed for flight.  He strapped 45 helium-filled weather balloons to his lawn chair one day, and he flew.  He did in fact pay violation fines afterward.

According to Wikipedia, Walters said, “It was something I had to do. I had this dream for twenty years, and if I hadn’t done it, I think I would have ended up in the funny farm. I didn’t think that by fulfilling my goal in life — my dream — that I would create such a stir and make people laugh.”

Larry makes me wonder whether our desires shape our dreams or our dreams shape our desires.  Which is it?

Either way, don’t end up in the funny farm.  Do what you need to do, but don’t cut in line.

Yes, I circled myself. Screenshot from the official Sex and the City The Movie Website