The Perfect Storm

I had three auditions today and decided to bring along my camera to make some type of pictorial of my day.   The auditions took a backseat to my thoughts when after finishing one audition and rushing to another, I ran into one of the most exciting, modern adventure authors!

Sebastian Junger is the author of one of my favorite books, The Perfect Storm.  I've read it twice and seen the movie three times.    After he walked by me, I doubted that it was him and kept on my way.  But then I decided there'd be no harm in finding out for sure, so I hurried after him and saw he stepped into the vestibule of a building.  I popped my head in and simply asked him if he were Sebastian. 

Great man!  Very friendly.  He gladly let me take his picture for my humble blog here. I told him how I zeroxed portions of  Storm, particularly his 2-3 page description of what happens when people drown, and that students of mine read it and were riveted.

A  "perfect storm" is a confluence of formidable weather patterns.  All these patterns were aligned for the Halloween storm of 1991 which sank the Andrea Gail.  What a heartbreaking tale!  When I got home today, I saw on the news of a fishing boat missing out of Point Pleasant, NJ.  :(

My uncle is a commercial fisherman and my dad is a big deep sea fisherman, so I've always had a fascination with all things of the Sea.  Too bad I get seasick.  Don't laugh.  I haven't fished in 10 years.  :(

I think there had to be some perfect storm of elements aligned in order for me to have run into one of my favorite authors today.  It encouraged me as he wished me luck on my auditions.  When we book in this biz it can be described as a perfect storm; all elements are aligned.

Let's hope all elements are aligned for us as we audition.  Let's hope there's some happy news out of the missing fishing boat in Jersey.

--Jim Todd