The Big Meanie

So the career of choice for S right now is a movie director. In the fall, a movie company was in our small town shooting a major motion picture and we passed by many times over several months. That picqued her interest. She started reading everything she could get her hands on about movie production and decided she wanted to write a complete screenplay and film a (IMO) pretty high budget movie. She could see it all in her head, and I'm sure it was incredible. Sometimes, as the mom, it's hard to be supportive and realistic at the same time. Where will you get the costumes? The lights? The camera? The ACTORS? When I pose these questions I sound like a big meanie crushing my babies big dreams of an Academy Award at age 14.

Before Christmas, S found a video contest she wanted to enter. It is a great project - much more manageable than the full length feature film she had planned - a short 8-10 minute video on the Constitution or an amendment with a local emphasis. She's so good at seeing the big picture and had some great ideas, but rough around the edges when it comes to details like scheduling interviews and having a list of questions. I wasn't really enthusiastic about the whole project because unfortunately, all I could think about was the inevitable hyperfocus as soon as I agreed and the resulting panic and drama when something didn't go exactly as she had planned.

After whining to my mom, she suggested I let her do this one completely on her own. Whew! Me, a control freak with a ADHD daughter, letting go?!? OK - if you insist. What did I have to lose? I told S that I would agree to her making the film, but it was "ALL HER." I didn't want to hear drama or panic. I was not going to hold her hand with scheduling or the interviews or filming. Enter first panic: "But how am I going to drive around to do the filming?!?!" Good point, but panic is not needed. I agreed to spend one full afternoon driving her around town to interviews and other filming locations. Enter second panic: "But what if someone can't interview that day?!?!" My response, "deal with it." So that's why I'm the big meanie.

So far, she has dealt with it and I have been very impressed. She chose to focus on the 2nd Amendment and set up several interviews before we left for vacation. She has a plan! A museum, a gun range, interviews with a 2nd Amendment expert and and attorney. We are headed out today and she even has our whole route printed off from Mapquest. Hallejuah!!! A major breakthrough!!!