The World According To Leo

Yesterday I found a box in a cupboard marked “For Storage – America 2001”. I took the box off the shelf, dusted it off and realized that I hadn’t seen the content of this box in nearly 13 years.   Like an excited child on Christmas morning, I ripped off the packing tape, opened the top of the box and a flood of memories filled my head, taking me back to 2001 when at the age of 19 I took a big brave step to go and explore America. I found my plane ticket to New York, a book with names of people I met during this time, some photos, a subway pass, another plane ticket to LA… and then the callsheet and production notes from the first movie I ever worked on. Digging deeper in the box, I found a love letter, a copy of the Hollywood reporter, an Oscar statue a friend gave me and a copy of the Los Angeles Times with the 9/11 tragedy printed on the front page. Suddenly my original dream came back and confront...

Every once in a while, we meet people. People we connect with. Form friendships with. Share experiences with. Share stories with and create memories with. Photos end up on social media. On my fridge. On my staircase wall. Cherished moments. But then, like most things in life, sometimes these friendships come - unbeknownst to us – with expiry dates. I was a little apprehensive about writing this story, but again, like many of my blog posts before, so many people can relate to them. So, here I am, telling another personal story. One of the most insightful things I’ve learned is that the saying “People come into your life for a reason, season or lifetime” is nothing but the truth. In recent months I’ve allowed new people into my life. I’ve shared experiences with them, created memories with them and when the time came, I graciously allowed them to exit my life when their purpose was served. One of the thin...