There’s one in every group.
The pretty one, the cool one, the shy one, the jock, the nerd. At least that’s what Hollywood would have us believe. There’s a list service that casting directors use, with a breakdown of the available roles for the show. Rather than the name of a character, the list often says “Nerd” or “Jock” or “Pretty Friend.” It’s an easy way to build the cast.
Do you think Hollywood’s character list is true to life? When I think about my group of friends, I can fill most of the roles. In our couple’s group, one of the guys easily fits the role of the “Jock”. He’s 6 feet tall, and very muscular and fit. All the other guys really take notice. My husband often remarks that he has to eat two full dinners when he goes to a restaurant, which has become a punchline every time we go out to eat. My husband suggests that he order two full meals for himself.
Filling the Hollywood roles with my group of friends is easy, until I get to myself. I don’t think I fit into just one role. Depending on the day and what needs to be done, I want more choices!
When the kids were little, we encouraged them to do their best in school—do their homework and study. We were preparing them for the role of the “Nerd.” Then we spent every weekend driving to the sports field, preparing them for the “Jock.” We also encouraged them to participate when attending school functions or birthday parties. We didn’t want our children to be the “Shy” ones. Maybe it was easier to fit into one role as young people. Now that we’re all older, I see many roles in them too. It’s almost as hard to cast your children into just one role as it is to do it for yourself.
One role we haven’t talked about is the role of “Grandparent.”
The grandparents of today—my friends!—are nothing like what I used to think of as a grandparent. Very few of them have gray hair and sit in recliners. Grandparents today take their grandchildren surfing, hiking, and on trips. I have very fond memories of spending time with my grandma and great-grandma. Funny that I don’t really remember spending time with my grandpa. When we were kids, Grandpa was mysterious. He had an office in the house! When Grandpa walked in, the room would go quiet. Maybe it was because I’m a girl. My husband loves to tell stories about when he and his grandpa would go fishing. He and his grandpa spent lots of time together.
Will we be good grandparents? I’m pretty sure my husband will be, and not just because he thinks and acts like a kid—which he does—but because he likes kids. He likes kids and dogs, and they like him. They say you can determine a person’s character by how much babies and puppies are drawn to them.
Hopefully, we’ll get an opportunity to try out the role of grandparents one day in the not-too-distant future. For the time being, we will continue in our many roles because who wants to fit into just one.
Exactly! I am comfortable in work boots and an evening gown ! Maybe that's the draw to acting.
I think it’s harder to cast ourselves simply because we’re the “hero/lead” in our own stories. I’m such a weirdo - depending on who I’m with and what the occasion is, I tend to fill a number of roles because IRL - I really AM an actress 😉. (Might be your issue too 😉💜)