Glee.

Most individuals enjoy watching at least one series on television on a regular basis. Despite all the horrible pilots that come on every year, the writers and producers usually find a hit somewhere in the mess. We as fans pick and choose often before we even watch the show due to our impression of what the show will be instead of what it actually is.

I have to say that I fell into this trap when I first saw the commercials about Glee that were unclear about the premise of the show. As a result, I summarily dismissed it despite its intriguing marketing. However, after a recommendation to check out the show, I find that I really do enjoy it. It seems to be a perfect match of my enjoyment of music, comedy, and a bit of cynical wit.

It has quickly become a program I look forward to seeing because I enjoy its thoughtful yet light hearted humor. It's also a departure from some of the more high intensity shows I enjoy like Lost and Lie to Me. Anyway, I've recommended this show to some, and I hope they enjoy it as much as I do. And if not the plot at least the fun singing and dancing they do on the show.

And with that, enjoy a scene that made me smile. Who doesn't love a little Young MC.

What are you passionate about?

What are you passionate about?

This is a question that has been posed to me. In truth, it is has given me a bit of trouble answering. Passion is a very strong word, it surpasses excitement or enjoyment. It strikes to the very essence of something that you feel an immensely strong attachment too. Passion is so often related to romance due to the intense nature of the emotion. As this very question was posed to me, I struggled to find an answer what was a driving passion of mine. This struggle in pinpointing an appropriate answer raised three questions in my mind.

1) Am I in fact a dispassionate person?

Dictionary.com defines dispassionate as devoid of personal feeling or bias. It sounds so cold. However, if I can't find something I can't quickly name as irremovable from my life then is that not a lack of passion for something? Many people find passion in religion, work, a hobby, and many other things. And although I value all these things, I can't say I feel an intense emotional connection to these items.

2) If I am a generally dispassionate person, is that a bad thing?

This is where I struggle with an answer. Is it wrong to lack a passion for something? I could give a generic answer like: "I'm passionate about life." However, then you have to ask, what about life gives you passion? You can't tell me that you would be passionate about standing in a hospital room with your dying grandparent that has struggled with cancer for 2 years. (Theoretical) Yet that is life... So being passionate about "life" isn't enough for me.

Is lacking passion another way of saying you lack direction? Is it saying you've been too cautious to put a personal stake in something? Or worse does it mean you are uncaring? And if you are lacking something to be passionate about, can you find it?

3) How do you find your passion?

Let us suppose that I was looking to find something to be passionate about. Where would you look? Isn't your passion supposed to be natural? Or is it something you have to work at becoming? I enjoy writing, but it is taxing at times. I enjoy books, but I don't want to read every weekend. I enjoy teaching, but you can only teach if there are people that wish to learn from you.

Is the trick to finding a passion simply trying lots of things? Or should it be something you are already drawn too. And if it is something you should just find by trying things, where does one start?

Ultimately, I have simply answered a question with a question. That is far from ideal, but it is where my mind is at right now. I don't have the answer to the question what I am passionate about, and that bothers me. Hopefully that is a good thing.

Would you rather....

A game that has been played in movies and television shows alike. A game that you likely have played at home or with friends. Often times, it is more of a pick the less of two evil scenarios, but I had a question rolling around in my head the last few days that was its own conceptual would I rather...

If I were to write a novel or screenplay, would I rather write a popular smash hit of questionable quality, a deep hitting award winning story you will watch once and never want to struggle through again, or a novel concept that never took off but the work was still quality? What spurred this thought was watching a film that didn't receive any great reviews but I enjoyed none the less. I started to think about other films I've seen.

Three great examples of films like these are Armageddon, Million Dollar Baby, and Memento. All films I've watched and enjoyed for various reasons, but none for the same reason.

Now on one hand, Armageddon had mass appeal with a star studded lineup and sound track. It was a wonderful summer film and is still shown constantly on television. I can't imagine the amount of money and residuals that were spawned by this film. Furthermore it is completely rewatchable for its entertainment value, but no one is walking home with year end awards from this one.

On the other hand you have a film like Million Dollar Baby which was an emotionally gut wrenching film that I wouldn't wish on anyone to watch more than once. The sheer and raw pain and agony portrayed in the film is wonderfully done, but not something you go to bed happy about viewing.

Finally is Memento which I found a fascinating concept and well put together from a writing standpoint. It wasn't flashy and lacked the emotional depth of some stories, but it was very well conceived. The imaginative nature of the concept should receive praise, and although it will long be forgotten over time, I imagine the creator was happy with his end product.

So what would I want to put my name on? Usually once you get good at something that becomes your "thing." So if you had to be type cast in that which you produce, which would you choose? It a thought that has been rolling around in my head lately, and I don't have my answer yet. But it's fun to think about.