An Alternate Hollywood Ending

Sometimes stories keep going even after you think they’ve ended.

This past January I shared a 7 Minute Story titled Rookie of the Year.

You can listen to it HERE.

It starts off by detailing my love for the early 90s film Rookie of the Year and how it made childhood a little easier for both my brother and I after our parents got divorced. Then, the story flashes forward to 2019 when I was given the assignment to interview actor and musician Thomas Ian Nicholas.

If you didn’t know, Thomas played the lead character of Henry Rowengartner (pictured below) in the film.

So, I interviewed Thomas (now in his 30s) in Akron, Ohio about some of the important charity work he was doing on behalf of a local hospital. We had a great conversation but something was missing…

Maybe it was my desire to try and remain professional. Or maybe I didn’t want to come off as a fanboy, but I never told him how much the movie he starred in all those years ago meant to me.

And so that was it. That was the bittersweet ending to my story.

But shortly after I shared the 7 Minute Story, I got a direct message on Instagram that caught my eye…

It was from Thomas Ian Nicholas.

He told me that he enjoyed and appreciated the story and even shared it with his Instagram following.

I was on cloud 9…

I guess this is the alternate ending to my “Rookie of Year” story. I originally set out to tell a story about the role that movies play in our lives. That they’re essential because they provide something life usually doesn’t.

A Hollywood ending.

In this case, my life played out more like one of my favorite childhood films. A gentle reminder that maybe the optimism and hope of youth is the reason we make movies to begin with.

*THIS BLOG GIVES 7MS LISTENERS A DEEPER INSIGHT INTO MY STORYTELLING PROCESS.

The Quiet Voice

This is/was my grandfather. He passed several years ago, There aren’t many days when I don’t think about him. A fascinating man and one of the greatest storytellers I’ve ever known. He worked most of his life in marketing and sales at the former East Ohio Gas Company. At his funeral, I read his retirement speech to all the mourners. It was fitting because it was a farewell. In this retirement speech, he shared a lot of advice, but the best being this….

: “In life, you’ll have doubters. There will be a lot of voices trying to sway you. But you’ll never get lost if you listen for the voice of your concience. It’s always there. It’s always been there. It’s the voice of your origin. It’s just quiet sometimes. But if you listen, very closely, you’ll hear it. It will never let you down. It will always tell you that you CAN and you WILL. Just never give up. That noble voice will bend your doing towards good”. I’m not sure if I’ll ever be as good of a storyteller as he was, but I’ll sure as hell try. He inspires me to get better at my craft everyday.

Thanks JoJo. Love you.

The little yellow bird

In this animated short, I learn life lessons about mortality, perseverance and grace from a little yellow bird.

My father, the storyteller

A story about how I learned the power of storytelling from my father.

You matter and you don't matter...

A clip from a recent story describing how important it is to recognize the duality one experiences as a human being.

On the importance of being authentic with my audience...

Building credibility with my growing podcast audience is paramount. And I know when people can smell bullshit or when something feels fake. In this short video, I discuss the importance of breaking through "facade" while in the midst of producing my 7 Minute Story podcast. And that by revealing the raw and unromantic nature of my craft, I hope to cultivate a deeper connection with my audience.

Male Role Model

Blended families can be beautiful but it doesn't mean they don't come with challenges. One of the biggest is trying to find your role as a parental figure to children that aren't biologically yours. These two dudes may not share the same genes with me but they've helped teach me what it means to be a father figure. I'm trying everyday both for my daughter and for them. If you would have told me 5 years ago I would have 3 kids... I would have laughed in your face. Well, Aaron, you have 3 kids… 

The dudes

Norman Rockwell

This is the outside of the barbershop in the town where I grew up, where I left, and where I boomeranged back to. As a teenager and even in my 20s studying in New York City, I used to think where I came from was "lame". And maybe to some it is. But there's something simple and beautiful that exists here. Something I should have been more courageous about sharing before. Something I missed in the arrogance of my early teens and 20s. Something I should not have denied. It's not perfect, it doesn't encompass every experience in America, but I think it encompasses the best parts of a Norman Rockwell painting. A place where peace and inspiration are the norm and where one can raise a family. It's also the place that helped safely foster my love of storytelling. For that I am forever grateful.

Hersey’s Barbershop. Medina, OH.

Home

Place and geography play a big part in the stories I tell. As a native of Cleveland and Northeast Ohio, so much of how I tell stories and my perspective is drawn from the culture of where I grew up. My perspective isn’t definitive of this region, only a part of it’s rich tapestry.

Cleveland is a city that produces great storytellers. I mean for the love of God, #superman was created here. My family is from this place. I left the area when I was 18 years old and came back and now have called Cleveland & Northeast Ohio home for nearly 10 years. It's a place that can be harsh, difficult , misunderstood , comforting and beautiful. It's a place where stories are plentiful. I'm going to keep telling them 7 minutes at a time

The house in Cleveland, OH where the idea for Superman was born.

A promise to my daughter

The following memory and short story inspired Episode 22 of the #7minutestories podcast. It’s called: The Nite-Nite Rules. After reading this make sure and give it a listen.

When I was 5 years old my parent’s marriage dissolved. It was then that I made a promise that I would never get divorced because I couldn’t imagine my own child experiencing that sort of pain. That’s why I was devastated when my wife and I separated just after my 31st birthday. I felt like a failure. But mostly, I felt like I was letting down our one year old daughter. A promise was made years ago with the best of intentions but it had been broken…

Although my former wife and I would go on to thrive as co-parents, the hardest nights were when I wasn’t physically there to say goodnight to my little girl. So, I took a stab at another commitment. This time, maybe one that was more attainable. I promised that on the nights my daughter and I were in separate houses, I would call her on the phone at 8pm to tell her goodnight. I want to make sure that she knows I’m always there. To have the comfort of hearing my voice every night before she falls asleep.

I haven’t missed a phone call in 5 years. 

My Brother and the Karaoke Radio

My brother and I had wild imaginations as children. I’m not sure if this photo was even taken around Halloween because we’d dress up and pretend to be characters all the time. It was around this time that I started to really love storytelling…

My brother and I even created our own radio show. “The Aaron and Alex Radio Show”  We would use a Fisher-Price microphone/karaoke toy and record our episodes on cassette tapes. In my mind I always felt like someone out there could hear it. I don’t think they did...Now in 2019, with my podcast #7minutestories I am still sharing stories. Only this time it’s not on a children’s microphone. It’s with you. Oh, and my brother Alex is telling stories too. He’s a senior copywriter at American Greetings.