For those unaware of #thisiscrazylove2016 and my co-op of it as hashtag mutiny here’s the disclaimer:
“*This is crazy, a person a day for the whole year of 2016 to show love and appreciation to on social media. It may be someone in my everyday life or someone I may not have spoken to for years. All I know is I’m going to try everyday come rain or shine. There is no failing at this; every day I do it is a win. You can feel free to jump into this craziness with me and start today. It’s never to late this year to start the love and appreciation. Check out the rest of the crazies participating with: #thisiscrazylove2016
”
Jonathan Riggs gets the crazy love today. I’ve known of Jonathan since probably 2002. That’s when I started attending Belmont Church. The place where I would end up calling my place of employment for many years. He was a guy I’d see singing on stage with the worship group many weekends and I was surprised to find out he was married with four children. He certainly didn’t look to be of an age to have four little ones running around a house.
Jonathan is a local actor with credits in motion pictures, television and commercials. Oh, and he's also a musician. So, there's like a lot of talent there.
I spoke to him a few times in passing but was the extent of our relationship together.
Fast forward several years and for some reason his youngest was enamored enough with me to invite me to his pirate birthday.
I went to the party holding my head up and was met with high esteem as I was the ONLY adult invited to Caleb’s party. Sure there were other adults at the party but they were mostly there as chaperones and chauffeurs for the other children. These are bragging rites I hold to this day.
I didn’t spend any time talking with Jonathan that day either. I was immersed in the goings on of the young people partying it up with “argh’s” and “ho-there’s.”
At some point in all this Jonathan was met with a career change. He went from a job in project managing for a large publishing company to a corporate job to chasing after a dream to act and perform full time.
Now, like many actors, he works from job to job meeting people along the way and creating things from ideas and concepts to finished works visible for others to be moved and inspired.
He inspires me with his willingness to connect people together in a room who could work together to create works of art. He inspires me with his determination to ask questions in meetings and forums to find the clarity of what is being talked about.
He inspires me when he reaches out and asks if I would be interested in attending an event full of creative people to see if I too can network and meet like minded people in the industry of television and film to better acquaint myself with the working professionals.
His inquisitive nature proves to be his best teacher as he observes the regular workings of a set and pays close attention to why things are done. He asks questions and listens to others’ questions to see if there is something to learn from their curiosity.
His desire to invite me to these events makes me think I am not special in this. I only assume he is constantly looking to the communities of creative people he has worked with or wants to work with and seeks to introduce them to one another to make this community bigger, stronger and more familiar with each other.
For this reason I share my crazy love today with Jonathan Riggs.
