By Guest Columnist Richard Rennie
The world is unpredictable, and it certainly threw us all a curveball this year. It took me a long time to find peace with the quarantine, but it was through these mundane hours, days and weeks that I rediscovered satisfaction in the simple routines.
As an actor and dancer I am used to the constant hustle of LA, and 2020 started great! I booked a film as the lead actor and performed with Chicago the musical through February and March. I was so excited to nail the year and take my career to the next level. Then, the unthinkable happened.
Like many others, I now found myself alone in my apartment, trying to wrap my head around the lockdown and figure out how to navigate this new way of life. I felt as though my successes had been taken away in the blink of an eye. Living in LA, we are so programmed to network, collaborate and hustle that I now felt lost. Then it hit me… had I been so wrapped up in the goals of ‘succeeding’ that I had forgotten about the simple pleasures in life?
I grew up in Scotland and left my home town at a young age to go to a prestigious dance school in London. From the moment I graduated, I have put so much focus into my career and the thought of ‘making it’. It’s been fifteen years of blood sweat and tears and a constant strive for better jobs and opportunities. I would achieve a life long goal, and then instantly focus on my next step. I truly believe that I was lost in the game, and I didn’t realize I wasn’t even celebrating my successes.
Now, forced into lockdown, I was unable to audition, ‘network’ or even take class, so I used the time to finally relax and It was something I could never have imagined that I needed so badly. I spent nights eating pizza, binge watching my favorite TV shows and didn’t even feel guilty about it. I slept in late and enjoyed it. I took up yoga and meditation and reconnected with friends and family who I hadn’t seen in many years. It’s a funny feeling to be so far away from people you love, yet never feel so close to them. Thank God for Zoom.
I have always been close to my family, but I found myself calling them every day. Once a week, we would arrange a family quiz night and I would chat with all of my cousins who are all over the world. I found joy in calling my nephews and playing hide and seek on Zoom. I had in-depth conversations with my sister and learnt cooking skills from my Mum. We celebrated my Dad’s birthday over face-time by each buying a cake from our local grocery store and blowing out the candles together. I’m ashamed to say that before the pandemic I would often miss family birthdays, as I was so focused on my career.
I started a Whatsapp group with my childhood friends with whom I was thrilled to reconnect. We would often call and reminisce about long-lost memories of our childhood, crying with laughter as we relived these stories. We also helped each other through our individual struggles we were experiencing. Like many others, I have struggled financially though the lockdown, but it was calming to have real friends by my side, holding my hand and helping me through the concern.
This also brought me closer to many of my friends here in LA. I do believe it can be hard to find true friendship in this city, but this quarantine really highlighted the ones who were there for me. As always, the incredibly thoughtful Craig Robert Young put me in touch with the British Benevolent Society who offered me a generous donation of $1500. This money came to me in one of my darkest moments, and I will always be so grateful to this wonderful organization.
2020 has certainly been a struggle and a hard time for most but I am grateful for the time it gave me to reflect on the way I live my life. As the lockdown starts to ease up and we all go back to normal life, I hope to come out of this as a new man. From now on, I’ll make sure to celebrate all successes, not only mine but also my friends and families. Last week, after a two-year struggle, I received my green card. And I made sure to celebrate by popping open a bottle of champagne on Zoom with my community. I will keep in touch with the close people in my life and now realize just how priceless their friendships are. I will make time for myself and learn to take a breath in this crazy entertainment industry. But most importantly, I will live my life with as much joy and love as possible. If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that the simple pleasures of life are most certainly the most valuable.
