Things I Should Have Given Up #4: the Name Game

This one really isn’t about me but rather my family. For the past five generations, the first born in my family has been named Theodore Stanford Heggen. As my brother grows older, the question still remains: will he do the same?

Enter the announcement of a sixth generation on its way and my mom’s excitement.

Last month they found out the sex of the baby. Of course, it’s going to be a boy. So my brother, Theodore Stanford Heggen V, and his wife now have to make up their mind. To follow suit or not – and end the run.

Kindly, my dad, the fourth, said, “no pressure.” That is what his dad said, too.  Blame it on my great-great grandfather, I guess. It really shouldn’t have gotten this far in the first place.

But that’s not for me to decide, which is awesome.

(The idea with this series of posts is to reflect on things I'm not doing with the intention of taking time to, hopefully, start doing them again.)

Things I Should Have Given Up #3: Eating Meat

Katy, my fiancée, is a vegetarian. Over the course of our relationship, I have greatly reduced the amount of meat I eat. Not so willingly at first. But, shockingly, I have managed to survive without it everyday.

I have found protein replacements. And the amount of hummus I consume could be measured in gallons. There are even meat substitutes that I find myself gravitating to each time we grocery shop.

Now, I enjoy films. And I enjoy learning new things. Over the past couple years, a number of documentaries have been released citing the horrible things that happen to animals on corporate farms, covering the not-so-great benefits of eating meat that has been injected with hormones, and reiterating the incredible amounts of waste that goes into consuming meat in our economy. 

After taking in this information, I can say it alters my eating habits for a few weeks to a month. I drink more water, try to take vitamins, and, although it sounds crazy, swear off meat like I swear off drinking when I wake up hung over. Yet, it never sustains.

I walk through the market, spy bacon and hamburger and steak. Finding myself staring, I make mental notes of meals to make when Katy is gone and I can eat alone.

Last week, on my day off, I made this:

It was worth every bite.

At my most recent checkup, I was perfectly healthy. Though I can say I have put a few extra pounds in the past couple years…which probably will lead to something else I should have given up.

(The idea with this series of posts is to reflect on things I'm not doing with the intention of taking time to, hopefully, start doing those things again.)

Things I should have given up #2

Things I should have given up #2: Meeting my favorite Musicians

I never mean to come off as a crazy, obsessed fan when I meet my favorite musicians. The fact of the matter hits me, though, when I mention how cool I felt during the interaction and Katy, my fiancée, reminds me that I just stalked them down in the crowd and shared how much their music means to me.

I’m not sure what comes over me. They’re just normal people – who do incredible stuff.

Before these encounters, Katy will remind me of this fact. She’ll say, “Repeat after me: They are just normal people like us.” I generally follow this statement with, “Yes. Normal people…who do really awesome stuff when they’re being like you and me.”

I’m not going to say I know why I will talk on and on to them about when I listened to their music the most, about how they were with me through many experiences.

As it is, I now try to give myself a 20 second limit for initial interactions with musicians. If I can get out, “Great show. My name is Danny. I loved the recent album,” then that is fine with me...

With this brief interaction, maybe they’ll think I am a cool fan – someone they would like to know instead.

(Recent meetings: Conor Oberst, Taylor Goldsmith, Matt Vasquez, Tony Dekker)

Things I should have given up #1

Things I should have given up #1: My last few book ideas.

More than half a dozen book ideas and first chapters sit untouched in my computer and journal. Without giving myself time to sit and map out ideas, I just let them lie. Yet, they stick to my mind. Characters. Plots. Ideas. Plenty of beginnings. Even a few endings.

Each day passes so quickly. At work, I will find my self staring off, thinking about how long its been since I made time to sit and write -- usually an ache is attached to this. And I start to wonder if this desire to be a writer is just something I should to give up. 

Of course I'm not going to, but I still can't help when the thoughts come. 

So I figure I ought to record these thoughts, and maybe it will help me get going again. Maybe it will help me finally get going on these new book ideas.

(The idea with this series of posts is to reflect on things I'm not doing with the intention of taking time to, hopefully, start doing those things again.)

...is through his stomach.

She took the best way to my stomach -- through my heart.

New book idea

So, it's a long story (that I'm currently working on writing and hope to share soon), but I have a new book idea. It's about getting scammed.

What an experience it was.

More to come.

Attempts #2

Here are a couple videos I worked on over the weekend:

The River Monks release: This Saturday!

Making a Scene

I envision a scene where a guy has just walked from one edge to the other. Everything he has walked past has been torn in two. His hand is outstretched to a blushing bride.

Dreams & Attempts

The other night I dreamt the parameter walls of my house -- both the inside and the outside -- had 3 feet of space between them. I could then walk around my house without walking through the rooms, rather the between the walls. How sweet would that be? And it would be the coolest hide and seek house ever.

Anyways, here is a Seedlings poster I worked on yesterday.

I'm up in St. Paul this weekend, organizing my thoughts and songs for a show at Mars Café this coming Tuesday.

Much love,
Danny

Different Workings

So I've been trying to expand my artistic endeavors. I have begun with design stuff.

Here are a couple posters for my band Seedlings I attempted:

I'd love to hear what you think.

Much love.

Observations

1. The day I donated platelets, our radiator broke down. In the middle of the night with marker spots on my arms, I twisted the iron knobs, trying to figure out what was going on. Bound in an old college sweatshirt and my gym pants, I cuddled close throughout the night.

Around 10 am the next morning, the shiver left my bones.

2.  Our bathtub never gets hot. The surrounding tiles are always cold - they are on an outside wall.

3. When snow covers the city, it gives us all a strange feeling. We once had known it like this, but that is been so long ago now. Memories never seem so fond, rather quite isolated, when they return to the present.

4. She reminds to not just write my thoughts down on paper.

5. He stands on the corner. Two years from now he'll stand in this same spot with a bad taste in his mouth.

6. Our neighbors have the loudest sex I've ever heard. She squeals. And we both think she's faking it. Thin walls are great for criticism.

7. My co-worker enters. He asks if I noticed our boss is wearing her purple dress again. Before I can answer, the phone rings. I pick it up. It's a girl from upstairs. She asks if I noticed our boss is wearing her purple dress again.

I guess ten wears in twenty days is worth noting. So are my co-workers' concerns.

8. She always hides her thumbs in her hands while standing in a crowd.

9. Remembering my voice, I continued searching for my words.

10. Someday, when the days are longer and the wind warmer, I'll make you my wife. And I'll watch your smile grow throughout the day. And I'll wonder how I'll manage to care for us both. And I'll wonder how I'll ever make another day more beautiful than this. And you'll remind me to be right here throughout the day. Right here. Right now. Because that's what you do.

2nd thought on the Night

You turn to food when you realize you aren't any good at your other passions.

evening planning

This realization can be the hardest:
no matter how much you want that word,
that picture,
that sound,
that step that ought to follow
in the logical sequence,
it most likely won't come until you stop thinking about it.

Though, answers do feel better in the morning.

Oh, Future...

A couple weeks ago, one of my friends recounted something he recently read:

"In the next few years, we will spend 8,000 hours working and only 8 thinking about our futures."

My first thought: I hope I get paid for my next 8,000 hours of work.

Then the questions started coming to mind: Why wouldn't someone think about his or her future? Is it that he is fulfilled and doesn't want anything else? Or is it that work isn't included in her vision for the future? Does he just not take the time? 


Or, what I've found to be the real answer among my friends: their lives are so full of tasks and running around for other people that they never stop to think about what it is that they really want for themselves. 


If people only spend 8 hours thinking about their future, I don't even want to imagine the number of minutes they spend pursuing their future.

I must admit, I literally spend every spare minute I have thinking about my future. It has become somewhat of an obsessive behavior - How does this help me? What will this mean later? 

I want my work to mean something, and so I think about what I really want to do with my life. After thinking, I pursue opportunities that will help me get to where I want to be.

Though my current job is incredibly fulfilling, it is only a stepping-stone. My work with youth provides me with the freedom to think, the opportunity practice idea generation and development, and the purpose I need to get up and go to work each morning.

I hope to someday be in a position where my job is working with artists, helping them generate, develop, and manage projects.

Anyways, I'm not sure if there are any sources to back my friend's comment. I just think it's interesting that most people willingly go to work every single day without considering where it is taking them.

***

When you think about your future, do you see yourself answering the phone for Wells Fargo?

If not, what will it take for you to pursue what you really want to do? 

a danny h. attempt

I gave my hand a video the other day:




Wish list:
- Camera
- Design software