Emails From Mom

The last thing I want to do with this post is make fun of my mother, as a matter of fact, I'm a big fan of hers. Five kids, and none with drug problems as of yet.  Though I'm eying up a few pharmaceuticals for a possible a little purple haze to call my very own. I'm kidding, and honestly, don't have a clue if that makes any sense. 

"Scuse me while I kiss the sky."

Where the heck am I going with this blog...

Mom, my mom.

So years ago, when I was first considering ending my pharmaceutical sales career to head into New York City to pursue acting full time, my parents thought I was a bit nuts... Leaving loads of cash for complete uncertainty. And who knows what would find me in the bright lights and big city... Homosexuality? Drug use? HIV? Orgies?

I mean, the Big Apple takes lots of bites out of a lot of people,  how was she to be sure it wouldn't chew me up and spit me out? 

But by the time I made up my tumultuous mind to leave a cushy (legal) drug sales gig in New Haven, both my parents were happy I had finally just made a decision. After all, maybe this was just going to be a passing phase.

Well, as you know, it didn't pass...

I'm sure one or two of you have heard your mothers asking how long you're going to give it a shot. Or perhaps one or two of you have mothers that try to encourage you to think about law school... Or to reconsider med school... Or some other "safe" and "stable" career.

I don't know what year it was, I could probably track it down in my journals if I wanted, but there was one day when I finally just said something to her to the effect of... "This isn't helping... If you want to help here's a script I wrote... Sell this. That would help. Telling me everything else I could do, doesn't help. So please, I know you mean well... But stop."

So, with that, my mother, basically a suburban mom, did just that, she took my script, and she went out to sell it. She wrote a letter to the Paper Mill Playhouse... To seeing if they would read the script, and do it on their stage.

The outcome...

Well, I've never been produced at the Paper Mill Playhouse, and that was the extent of her help... But the great thing was, she never again told me all the wonderful options that were available to me, or asked me how long I was going to continue doing this.

Why do I write about this today...?

Well, the other day, my mom Emails me, wondering if it's okay for her to write Tom Hanks. Do you see where this is going?

The very sweet letter that she had already written tells him about her son (me) and yet another script I wrote. A script with a very strong Pro-Christmas message in it, something she read a few years ago, and which was actually given a staged reading and mini-work-shop here in Los Angeles last December at the Blank.

Before she sent it, she Emailed me to see if was okay if she sent it, and to see if I have his address. Which in itself cracks me up.

My silent reaction was... "Yeah, right, like he's going to read it... He'll probably think I'm a freak for having my mother send a note."

But then I paused, breathed and realized... This is my mom. She's doing exactly what I told her she could do to help ten or so plus years ago... She's kept up her side of the bargain, she hasn't brought up another career, or asked me how long I'm going to give it since that day... And really, so what if Mister Tom Hanks laughs at this? So what if his assistants never show it to him? So what? So what? This, this letter, has very little to do with him, and all to do with me, my mother, my request of her to stop hounding me about other careers, and her willingness to help her son.

So instead of poking fun at the idea, I decided instead to write the following back to her...

"It's very sweet of you.
While I think I know the outcome...
Really... Who knows how or if he'll respond.
If you do send it, I might share it with others.
But I think it's incredibly sweet.
Thank you for thinking of me."

Enough mushy stuff, time to get back to the drugs and the orgy!

-- Quiche Addict ~ Tom Kiesche

(if you wanna read 'em, the emails from mom are in the continued section and the fact someone thought this video was a good idea cracks me up)

 

The email she's planning to send to him...
" Dear Tom,

I have been thinking of writing you for a couple of years, and I thought it is time to get off my butt and just do it.

My Son Tom, wrote a wonderful Christmas Story and I would be very grateful and happy if you would be able to read it and see if you would have an interest in seeing it come to fruition.

My Husband and I read it a couple of years ago and found it very enjoyable. It is all about the Christmas Spirit. Tom had a reading last December in Los Angeles and I believe it went over very well, but of course, the people who came were not producers or promoters. It’s a musical, and very different from what I’ve seen done before.

I have always enjoyed your movies and thought I would start by sending this letter to you first.

If you have any interest in reading the story, please e-mail me or call and I will send you a copy. My e-mail is (omitted from blog posting). My telephone number is (omitted from blog posting).  My Son’s e-mail is (omitted from blog posting) .

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this

Sincerely,

(omitted from blog posting) (Tom Kiesche’s Mom)"

The email she sent me...
"
What do you think of that letter.  If it is a good idea, please let me know how to improve it and weather or not you approve.  I have wanted to send a letter regarding your play for a long time but just couldn't get up the nerve.  Today I have the nerve.  What's with that?  If Tom Hanks doesn't respond I could sent a letter to that white haired director with the dark rimmed glasses, but I forgot his name.  He was big at the academy awards last year.  Tim Allen would be another consideration.  Anyone who has been known to produce Christmas Stories, might have an interest.  Being Tom Hanks is one of my favorite actors, aside from you, I thought I would start with him.  I'll give him a few months, and if I don't hear from him, we'll move on to the next possibility.  It's just to good of a story, not to be shared with everybody.

I'm sure the copy of the script I have has be updated a couple of times, so if I hear from Tom H. , I'll need the latest script to send him."

I love that she calls him "Tom H."

Comments

[Evelyn Elam]

Wow! An orgy--and I wasn't invited? I feel so depressed. ;)
Yay Quiche-Mom! Cheers, Love... ya never know...?! It'd be hoot to hear Mr. Hanks ring ya up and say, "About your mom..."

('orgy' and 'mom' in the same paragraph...I'm gonna go now and feel weird about that for the rest of the day.)

[sharon]

It's hard being a mom. Your job is to raise an adult who statrs out as a new born. It sounds like your mom did a good job with you. Keep up the good work at being a good son.

[tom kiesche]

Thanks Sharon.

[a]

being a mom myself, and wanting only the best for my children and wanting them to succeed, i am totally with your mom on this.
good for her!
and i hope she sends her lovely letter to tom hanks. from listening to national public radio on saturday and hearing tom hanks on a quiz show [wait,wait, don't tell me], he sounds like JUST the person to receive this letter from you mom. i'll bet he'll read it, or at the very least, answer her back.
btw, i read your script as well, and i thought it was very interesting. i'll have to get it out and read it again.
i remember that it read more like a movie to me than a stage production. but it was cute.
and i read the 'blue' version too. funny!
- a