Growing up young

Joyce and I just enjoyed The Water Horse. The film was highly touted during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August. It didn't disappoint as a breathtaking look at Scotland's Highlands, but it was much more than just the beautiful scenery, as one of the characters notes. It's about a young boy learning what's real, and what sort of man he is to become.

I remember a moment in time when I made a very clear decision that I would carry some of what it was to be a child into adulthood. I was sitting in a restaurant with several friends from high school. I had to leave to get back to class and I was tucked into the middle of a circular booth. My first inclination was to crawl under the table. I instantly checked myself, as I was too old for that sort of thing. Then came the moment of clarity: I knew I would grow up and be a responsible member of society, but if I lost all of what was childlike, something in me would die. I saved my own holistic life and dove under the table. It's a decision that's brought me a greater ability to write and act, and most certainly it's allowed me to have a deeper faith.

The Water Horse shows a boy at just such a juncture, but it's much more interesting than a table at Angelo's Pizza.

Rich Swingle

Insurance woes

Please lift up Chad Rasor and his family. He was just informed by his insurance company that they won't be covering anything related to his accident in October because they said that worker's compensation should cover it. He was doing work for his landlord and wasn't covered by workers comp. They're going to approach the landlord and hopefully his insurance will cover everything. Pray everything goes smoothly.
Rich

Using film to woo

Rob & Nicole Plaster sent me a link to a really cool website that has modern parables on film: Knowing-God.topc.com/.

UK

From UK

Just returned from a phenomenal trip to the UK.

I got to perform Beyond the Chariots for a church in Birmingham and Lazarus from Big Fish Little Worm, written by former Theatre Dept head, Sean Gaffney, for a Swahili service in London. That came about through the daughter of Njeri, the woman who helped raise my mom in Kenya from 1948-1953. I got to meet Njeri on her third visit to the UK since 1999. I met her then as well on my last trip to England. What are the chances my trips corresponded with hers without either of us knowing of the others' schedule either time? Only the One who set up both visits knows.

From UK

For more photos visit RichDrama.com/UK.

Rich

The life you are meant to find
will wring your heart to the
point of breaking and then douse
you with buckets of joy when
you’re not looking.

-Linford Detweiller