The Truth About Three Degrees of Separation

I am finding a good laugh hard to come by these days, but I really need some serious chuckles. When I did First Word Radio the other day, we had two great interviews -- one with an actress and exotic dancer Kendall Lake from my all-time favorite show True Blood. Kendall was a sweetheart and very kind in regards to my family situation. I was super excited to dish on the show with her. In a twist of fun irony, I had tried to "friend" my favorite True Blood actor Alexander Skarsgârd on Facebook. I wrote him a note and laughed that he should friend me because you never know when our paths might cross -- turns out they sort of did. I told Kendall to tell him he should have friended me -- and she thought it was funny and said she would (as if he really cares), but in other more amusing tales. I read his interview with GQ magazine while we were in Alaska, and if you read the interview, then you know Skarsgârd loves to whale watch. Well, I was actually, and this is funny, whale watching on the deck of the cruise ship when I read the story. I couldn't help but chuckle when Skarsgârd sarcastically expressed his disappointment over not seeing any whales and repeats the captain's statement that at least there was "bird activity." The sarcastic "bird activity" comment became the catch phrase for our trip. We laughed about our own constant "bird" sightings and after about the 20th bald eagle sighting, we added that joke too. So, I told Kendall to share with Skarsgârd, he had created a whole new phrase to be appropriately used when on trips, say, like a safari when you expect to see lions and all you see are birds ... or, of course, in this case whale watching where you see nothing more than a fish jump and a seagull fly overhead. So what's the moral to the story ... well, truly in this strange world we live in, you are, in fact, about three degrees of separation from people you want to connect with. Since I'm a screenwriter (and PS our new script Beauty School got a big thumbs up from an A-list producer and another major producer is looking at it now ... and since I spoke to these folks, it's true and not a liar, liar pants on fire situation), you do not know when your paths will cross -- even with a famous actor. And what Sonja Fisher ultimately says is that you really are about three degrees of separation from someone who can help you achieve your dream. In Skarsgârd's case, you never know. I might have a script he loves ... and there you have it.