Matthew Dicks's Blog, page 70

News flash: Professional development can be both professional and developmental

In the last two weeks, I’ve attended professional development delivered by Microsoft and the FBI’s hostage negotiation unit.

I was assisting and consulting in both sessions.

I have some excellent and possibly shocking news for you:

Outstanding professional development is possible.

For some, and probably most of you, professional development may rarely seem professional or developmental. I understand this completely. For most of my professional career, regardless of the industry, professional development has largely been a waste of my time.

The reasons are obvious:

Hastily-designed instruction
Insulting, infantilizing methodologies
Meaningless, utterly forgettable content
A disrespect for the value of time
A lack of preparation
Poorly designed, incomprehensible slide decks
A seemingly intentional contempt for efficiency
Little or no effort to engage, inspire, motivate, or entertain

It is astounding how much money and time is wasted on professional development that yields almost nothing in terms of results.

But over the past couple of days, I watched folks at the FBI and Microsoft deliver outstanding professional development. Better than almost anything I’ve ever seen in my life.

I watched in disbelief.

Their instruction was strategic, targeted, and meaningful, minus any of the nonsense that plagues most PD sessions. The instructors treated their students like grown-ass, professional adults.

No ice breakers.
No turn-and-talk.
No assigned seating.
No listing of norms.
No meaningless introductions.

These instructors were exceedingly prepared and taught at a pace that was quick, high-energy, and entirely appropriate. They were engaging, inspirational, refreshingly honest, and even funny at times. They understood how to engage an adult and deliver critical content in the most efficient way possible.

They also had no desire or need to fill the allotted time with instruction. The sooner it was delivered and received, the better. The more time they returned to their students, the better,

Both sessions ended early.

I was almost sad when it was over.

It’s also important to note that the content being taught had no bearing on my professional or personal life in any way. I am not a hostage negotiator, nor do I design products for Microsoft, yet I was transfixed by the instructors and their methodologies.

Despite the meaninglessness of the content to me, I was excited to be learning.

And it didn’t require much.

Instructors were enthusiastic, animated, and excited about what they were teaching. They worked in concert with each other, operating like a well-oiled machine. They were entertaining and inspiring. Slides were used judicially and only in support instruction when needed. Written material was relevant and meaningful. Content was delivered in an efficient, logical, sequentially sensible way. Breaks were frequent, short, and spaced perfectly. At no point did the instructors engage in sidebar discussions or laugh at inside (or terrible) jokes. Barriers between instructors and students were knocked down and pushed aside. Every instructor exuded a combination of supreme confidence and authentic humility.

Outstanding professional development is possible. I saw it with my own two eyes.

I almost can’t believe it.

“Grow the legend”

My friend, Scott, is my golf guru. A former high school and college golf player, he often occupies my thoughts as I play the game.

Most of the time, his voice is advising me on how to approach a shot. How to manage the game. How to play within my abilities. How to escape a bunker.

But Scott also offers me this mantra:

“Grow the legend.”

Scott believes that when an opportunity presents itself to attempt something extraordinary, you should seriously consider making that extraordinary choice.

Life doesn’t offer us many opportunities to do something unforgettable and remarkable, so when it does, Scott says to “Grow the legend.”

And so, on the seventh hole at Pinecrest Golf Club in Richmond, Rhode Island, I was faced with such a choice. My tee shot had drifted right and landed behind a stand of trees. The sensible, mature shot would be to pitch the ball back onto the fairway and continue onto the hole, hoping for a bogie, but as I stood over my ball, I spotted an alleyway through the trees:

Impossibly small. Incredibly low to the ground. Lined on all sides by trees, branches, twigs, and leaves.

An unlikely, possibly impossible shot.

Also, an opportunity to grow the legend.

It wasn’t an easy decision. Though I wasn’t exactly having the round of my life, my score was reasonable, and the likelihood of success on this shot was minuscule. Also, if I failed to make the shot, I’d likely be hitting my next shot from somewhere within the trees, which would also be an incredibly difficult shot.

Still, if I managed to make the shot, it would be legendary.

With Scott’s voice in my mind, I chose the potentially legendary route.

I also knew that the shot would require me to punch a 7-iron, keeping the ball low and straight as an arrow, which happens to be a shot I can make. I’ve punched many a 7-iron out from under trees in the past. This would be unlike any shot I’d ever attempted, but it was at least in my wheelhouse of shots I could conceivably make.

“I’m going for it,” I announced to my friend, Andrew. “I’m growing the legend.”

Andrew was enthusiastic. It’s easy to be enthusiastic in these situations. You’ll either watch your friend hit an impossible shot or fail spectacularly.

Both are fun.

I stood over the ball, lined up the shot, drew back the club, and swung.

It’s not often in golf that a ball does exactly what you want it to do. In this case, it did. The ball leaped off my club and flew for about 40 yards at a height of about three feet, passing through the narrow window and flying out onto the fairway on the other side, a sand wedge from the green.

The ball hit nothing on its way. Not a single leaf or twig.

I couldn’t believe it.

Andrew shouted with joy.

I had grown the legend.

Last weekend, I shot one of the best rounds of golf in my life. I beat my friend, Tom, who I had only beaten a few times in my life, and I came within a stroke of beating my friend Jeff, too. I was standing in the tee box on the ninth hole with a 38 before fouling up the last hole with a double bogie.

Still, a tremendous round for me.

It will be forgotten soon.

That legendary shot will not.

That is why we grow the legend. We create moments that we will never forget.

And Scott’s rule applies to all of life. On Saturday night, my friend Jeni and I performed “Matt and Jeni Are Unprepared.” – a storytelling improv where we found, crafted, and told true stories about our lives from prompts offered by the audience, the internet, and each other. A sold-out audience paid money to watch us try to entertain them absent any preparation.

When Elysha told the audience the rules of the show, they groaned in disbelief. It was a seemingly impossible task. Nevertheless, we tried, and honestly, we crushed it.

We grew the legend.

I grew the legend when I agreed to perform Jewish folktales in concert with a full orchestra last year.

I grew the legend when I began teaching Shakespeare to elementary school students 25 years ago.

I grew the legend when I agreed to become a substitute minister for Unitarian Universalist Churches.

I grew the legend when I agreed to begin consulting for the FBI, even though I had no idea how I could possibly help them.

I grew the legend when I agreed to become a wedding DJ back in 1997 despite having no experience, equipment, or understanding of weddings, wedding music, or the wedding industry.

And I grew the legend when I agreed to officiate Scott’s wedding many years ago despite never having done such a thing before. Since that first wedding, I’ve officiated the weddings of more than 100 couples, including many of my close friends, but it all began by saying yes to something new and a little ridiculous, thus growing the legend.

There’s nothing wrong with making the wise, safe choice, but it will rarely yield legendary results.

 

“Matt and Jeni Are Unprepared”

On Friday night, Jeni Bonaldo, Elysha, and I performed “Matt and Jeni Are Unprepared,” a storytelling improv show unlike anything we’ve ever done and perhaps unlike anything ever done before.

The goal was for Jeni and me to tell brand new, never-before-told stories from our lives based on prompts we received from the audience, the internet, and each other. Every story needed to be true, and we could not use a story previously told onstage before.

We did this while attempting to entertain a sold-out audience.

The show consisted of five rounds:

Round #1 consisted of prompts supplied by the audience.

Round #2 consisted of prompts generated by an online object generator.

In round #3, Jeni and I gave each other prompts.

In round #4, we returned to the audience for prompts but paired them with genres like romance, coming of age, and mystery. We were required to tell a true story based on the prompt but also in the genre randomly selected.

We called this “The Impossible Round.”

We also asked the audience to judge our stories after each round by using cards to indicate which story they liked better.

Then, in round #5, which was not judged, Jeni and I told prepared stories, just in case every story in the previous rounds was terrible.

Happily, they were not. Frankly, we killed.

I knew it would be a good show, but I didn’t realize it would be a great show—a truly phenomenal night.

Here’s the thing:

I am incredibly lucky. Unbelievably fortunate.

Finding and telling true stories on the spot based on a random prompt in front of a paid audience was not challenging for me. Though I couldn’t guarantee that my stories would be any good, I had no anxiety or apprehension about actually performing.

I wasn’t even a teeny tiny bit nervous.

I’m an animal—a soulless monster. A fool who constantly throws caution to the wind.

But for most people – and perhaps any other person – the requirements of this show were ridiculous. Nerve-wracking, impossibly difficult, and stupid.

When Elysha explained the format to the audience, they groaned in disbelief.

It was a ridiculous, preposterous, nonsensical idea executed brilliantly.

How?

I managed to hitch my wagon to two brilliant, talented, courageous people.

Jeni Bonaldo is an unparalleled storyteller. Honestly, there are very few people in this world whom I would want to perform alongside in this format, and even fewer who could succeed in pulling off this highwire act alongside me. She is a talent beyond compare. Clever, hilarious, and skilled more than you could imagine.

Then there is Elysha. Somehow, I fell in love with a woman who is a brilliant performer. Hilarious, endlessly charismatic, quick-witted, intelligent, charming, and entertaining as hell.

And then, miraculously, she fell in love with me.

Elysha was just as important to the show’s success as Jeni and me. She was the sparkling center of the performance. All three of us played equal roles in the show’s success.

But I don’t get to bring my stupid idea to reality unless I am blessed with two people as brave, talented, and brilliant as Elysha and Jeni. This show never happens without them.

A crazy idea goes nowhere without partners willing to stand alongside you in your lunacy.

I stood alongside two of the very best on Friday night. Without exaggeration, Elysha and Jeni are two of the best on the planet at what they do.

How incredibly fortunate I am to have them in my life.

Want to do something great? Surround yourself with greatness, and your chances increase exponentially.

I can’t wait to do it again.

 

The scarecrows of Wethersfield

In the spirit of “It doesn’t take much…”

Wethersfield, Connecticut recently decorated its Main Street with scarecrows of every kind, drawing crowds of people to the town center.

It was an excellent way for us to spend the morning. We laughed and joked and stared in awe at some of these creations.

We also ate breakfast in a local cafe and shopped in a nearby store, thus bringing our dollars to their downtown businesses.

But mostly, we had a lot of fun, and it was clear from the incredible artistry and creativity that the makers of these scarecrows did, too.

It often doesn’t take much to do a lot. A small attempt at amusement and humor can often yield enormous results. A splash of creativity can completely change an environment. An old idea made new can transform the world into something fresh and exciting.

A street lined with scarecrows, designed and built by enthusiastic volunteers, made for an unforgettable morning of fun for my family and many, many others.

Grand ambitions are important and can change the world forever, but small, simple ideas, executed well, are pretty great, too.

Street problems

My son, Charlie, is a stickler for rules. He desires an orderly world filled with people who adhere to every custom, law, and norm.

He cannot abide even a slight bending of rules, which creates stress and tension for him when I seek to bend and break any and every rule that seems unnecessary and ridiculous.

Poor kid.

This is a perfect example of the kind of thing that makes him crazy.

“I don’t get it,” he said. “How hard is it to replace the manhole cover so the lines match?”

“Does it really matter?” I asked.

“YES IT DOES!” he shouted.

It’s tough to be a rule follower.

A riddle on a tote

This is my favorite tote bag of all time, and I don’t even own it.

Someone sent me this photo.

It requires you to identify the birds correctly, know their collective noun name, and properly infer the context of the scene based on the positioning and stature of the birds.

It demands so much but is so rewarding when understanding is achieved. It may take less than a second to put it all together, but that moment of realization is everything, both in life, in storytelling, and on a tote bag.

Bravo to whoever designed this little bit of brilliance.

Book covers are hard when your eyes are stupid

I have two books coming out next year, which means at some point, I will need to help choose the cover of those books.

This is never easy for me. I have no eye for visual imagery whatsoever. Elysha has said that if she were to stand alongside ten other brunettes of her height, I might not be able to pick her from the lineup.

Not true, of course, but some truth is hiding in her claim.

A few years ago, we were driving home and somehow began talking about the color of houses. I mentioned that our house is yellow, and Elysha said, “Matt, our house is not yellow. It’s light brown.”

“It’s yellow like the sun,” I said.

Mind you:

We’re been living in this home for more than a decade.

A few minutes later, we turned onto our street, and I spotted our house. Not yellow at all. Not even close.

I couldn’t believe it. Except I could because I have no visual memory. I remember almost everything that I hear but nothing that I see. It’s why I was a two-time state debate champion in college. I listened to my opponents and then eviscerated them with their own words.

It’s probably why people don’t argue with me as much as I’d like.

It also makes choosing book covers a daunting prospect.

I recently saw the original cover of Peter Benchley’s bestselling novel “Jaws,” and while it’s a fine cover, it doesn’t hold a candle to the movie poster of the same name.

It’s kind of pathetic by comparison.

It makes me think I should find someone in Hollywood to help us with the next book covers.

Those people clearly know what they are doing.

Spotted a dinosaur

One of the beauties of golf is that every round is different. No matter how many times I play a course, no two shots will ever be the same. The position of the ball, the position of the pin, and the course conditions will always make for a different shot.

It’s a fantastic part of the game.

Add to this the changing of the seasons, the sunrises and sunsets, the endlessly variable bounces of the ball, and the friends who walk alongside me, and every time I play, it is a unique experience.

Then there are the deer, coyotes, hawks, foxes, and other fauna occasionally gracing the fairway.

It’s always an adventure.

This past weekend, while playing with a friend in Rhode Island, we looked down the first fairway and spotted an object near the hole.

“Is that an animal?” I asked.

We proffered guesses as we made our way toward the green.

“A rodent of some kind?”
“A hunk of tree?”
” A top of an enormous boulder, poking out above the grass?”

Nope. It was a snapping turtle, making its way across the fairway, camouflaged, probably not intentionally, in a collection of autumn leaves.

Basically a dinosaur.

It wasn’t the first snapping turtle I’d ever seen while playing golf, but it was the first I’d seen outside the water.

No two rounds of golf are ever the same.

Resolution update: October 2023

Every month, I report the progress of my yearly goals to monitor progress (or the lack thereof) and hold myself accountable.  The following are the results from October 2023.PERSONAL FITNESS

1. Don’t die.

Completely alive. My annual physical was just a few days ago, and my doctor told me that my numbers are better than ever.

“I’m so proud of you,” she said. “You’re taking such good care of yourself.”

I love my doctor.

Then she told me that she’s leaving the practice.

Doh!

As always, I plan on living forever or die trying.

2. Lose 20 pounds.

I lost one more point in October. This brings my total weight down to 37 pounds in 2023.

Still well ahead of the original goal of 20 pounds.

I won’t declare victory until I get through the year with sustained weight loss, but at the moment, the goal to lose 20 pounds and my revised goal of 30 pounds have been achieved.

Now that I’ve hit my new goal, I’m setting my sights on another 10 pounds, which would bring my total weight loss to 40 pounds.

3. Do at least 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, and three one-minute planks five days a week.

Done.

4. Cycle for at least five days every week. 

Done. I cycled for all but two days in October. I was traveling on those two days, so biking was impossible.

5. Improve my golfing handicap by two strokes. 

My handicap at the start of the year was 17.6.

I played more than two dozen rounds of golf in October, including many mornings before work.

My handicap is now 11.6. A significant drop and considerably better than my goal.

I’m definitely getting better.

If only I could hit that damn driver.

WRITING CAREER

6. Complete my eighth novel.

Progress has commenced! Completion by the end of the year is very doable.

7. Write my next Storyworthy book.

My editor has returned the book to me with copy edits. I have two weeks to complete them.

8. Write/complete at least three new picture books, including one with a female, non-white protagonist.

Three books are complete.

“Operation Beaver Drop” is going out to publishers soon.

“Rock a Bye Baby” and “Duel in the Sky” will be sent to my agent shortly.

“Rock a Bye Baby” features a female, non-white protagonist.

I’m working on a new one now.

9. Write a new solo show.

Done.

10. Perform a new solo show.

Done. Performed July 30 and 31 and August 1. I look forward to performing it again soon.

11. Write a musical.

My friend Kaia and I are writing a musical that we will also perform, even though I cannot sing. She writes the music and lyrics. She and I write the story.

We brainstormed ideas in August and came up with some exciting ideas. A new concept and some ideas for songs.

I need to write some of the story for Kaia to begin writing music.

12. Submit at least five Op-Ed pieces to The New York Times for consideration.

No progress.

13. Write at least four letters to my father.

I wrote a birthday note to my father in March.

One letter has been sent in 2023 so far.

14. Write 100 letters in 2022.

Done.

Another six letters were sent in October, bringing the total number to 184.

Recipients included students, parents of students, and the great Jonathan Goldstein.

15. Convert 365 Days of Elysha into a book.

My production manager is currently working on this project.

16. Read at least 12 books. 

Done. Three books were read in October. A total of 19 books so far in 2023.

“Going Infinite” by Michael Lewis
“Enough” by Cassidy Hutchinson
“Holly” by Stephen King

I’m in the middle of reading the following books:

”Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama” by Bob Odenkirk
“Happy-Go-Lucky” by David Sedaris
“Think Like a Monk” by Jay Shetty
“The Groucho Letters” by Groucho Marx
“Smart Brevity” by Jim VendeHei, Mike Allen, and Roy Schwartz

Books read so far in 2023.

“Sapiens” by Yuval Harari“Life’s a Gamble” by Mike Sexton“The Sea We Swim In” by Frank Rose“Born a Crime” by Trevor NoahThis Will All Be Over Soon” by Cecily Strong“Magic Words” by Jonah Berger“The Science of Storytelling” by William Storr“Slayers and Vampires” by Edward Gross and Mark Altman“Hooked: How to Produce Habit-Forming Products” by Nir Eyal“Tough Sh*t” by Kevin Smith“From Saturday Night to Sunday Night” by Dick Ebersol“The Ship Beneath the Ice” by Mensun Bound“Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t” by Steven Pressfield“The Wager” by David Grann“The Other Wes Moore” by Wes Moore“Million Dollar Maverick” by Alan Weiss“Going Infinite” by Michael Lewis“Enough” by Cassidy Hutchinson“Holly” by Stephen King

17. Read TIME’s 100 Best Children’s Books of All Time. 

Four books were read in October. I also made a spreadsheet of the books to keep better track.

A total of 19 so far.

I’ve read many of the other books on the list in the past, but I am only counting those books I read in 2023 toward my goal.

18. Write to at least six authors about a book I love. 

No progress.

STORYTELLING/SPEAKING CAREER

19. Complete the re-recording of Storyworthy For Business. 

“Storyworthy” for Business is complete and available for purchase. Find it and much more at storyworthymd.com.

I want to produce a much-improved version of the course ASAP. Module 1 is now re-recorded but may need to be re-rerecorded. A lot more needs to be done.

The business has been on pause for good reason, but hopefully, this problem will work itself out soon.

20. Record the next Storyworthy course.

Done.

Two brand-new courses have been added to the Storyworthy platform:

Finding Stories
Anatomy of a Story
Humor: Volume #1

I’m proud of all of them. You should check them out.

21. Produce a total of six Speak Up storytelling events in 2023

Three shows in 2023 so far:

April 22 at the Connecticut Historical SocietyMay 4, in partnership with Voices of HopeJuly 29 at Hartford Flavor Company

We have shows scheduled for November 3 at the Playhouse on Park and November 4 at Wolcott School.

Our December show in Middletown was canceled because our producing partner hit a snag with red tape, which will make this goal impossible to meet.

22. Pitch myself to at least three upcoming TEDx events with the hopes of being accepted by one.

Done!

I spoke at a TEDx event at the University of Connecticut in January.

Due to the delay in posting a TEDx Talk from more than a year ago, my University of Connecticut talk will not be loaded onto the TED platform for reasons I don’t quite understand.

I also spoke at a TEDx event in Natick, MA, on April 13. It went quite well. That video should be online shortly.

I also pitched myself to TEDx events in Harlem, Roxbury, on the campuses of Yale University, Boston University, Northeastern University, and the Rhode Island School of Design.

TEDx Harlem and TEDx Yale have declined. TEDx Roxbury was canceled.

I await word from the others.

23. Attend at least eight Moth events with the intention of telling a story.

I attended two Moth events in October—one in Boston and one in NYC.

A total of 15 Moth shows attended in 2023 thus far.

24. Win at least one Moth StorySLAM.

Done. I won the Moth StorySLAM in Boston on March 29.

25. Win a Moth GrandSLAM.

I competed in a Moth GrandSLAM in Boston in May and did not win. I also had to go first, which is not exactly fun or conducive to winning.

I was invited to compete in the Seattle GrandSLAM in March and again in October, but traveling cross country was impossible.

I was invited to compete in the Washington DC GrandSLAM in November, but my schedule did not allow me to attend.

I will be performing at the Moth GrandSLAM in NYC in November and the Boston GrandSLAM in December.

26. Produce at least 24 episodes of our podcast Speak Up Storytelling.

No progress.

27. Perform stand-up at least six times in 2022.

I’ll perform stand-up at the New York City Comedy Festival in November.

28. Pitch three stories to This American Life.

No progress.

29. Pitch myself to Marc Maron’s WTF podcast at least three times.

No progress.

30. Send a newsletter to readers at least 50 times. 

Two newsletters were sent in October.

A total of 44 newsletters have been sent thus far in 2023.

HOME

31. Clear the basement.

Progress continues and is going well. Large furniture is now removed. Closing in on the finish line.

32. Clean and clear the garage.

A much-needed dumpster, a trip to the dump,  or perhaps a neighbor’s tag sale will be key to completing this task, but it’s nearly done. Large items need to be discarded, and a pile of school supplies needs to be organized or eliminated, but otherwise, it is almost complete.

33. Furnish and decorate the studio. 

Done!

34. Eliminate clothing not being worn and closet bins.

Done!

FAMILY/FRIENDS

35. Text or call my brother or sister once per month. 

Done.

36. Take at least one photo of my children every day.

Done.

37. Take at least one photo with Elysha and me each week.

Elysha and I took many photos together, but every photo had one or both of our kids in the photo.

38. Plan a reunion of the Heavy Metal Playhouse.

No progress.

39. I will not comment positively or negatively about the physical appearance of any person save my wife and children to reduce the focus on physical appearance in our culture overall.

Done.

40. Surprise Elysha at least six times in 2023.

Four surprises were arranged but not yet announced in October.

A total of 19 surprises so far in 2023, including:

Half a dozen birthday cards, all handmade, scattered throughout her life on her birthdayTickets to the upcoming Lizzo concertA Pusheen Mystery BoxGoodie bag of Trader Joe’s delightsCoat from Canyon RanchVisit from KathySurprise dessert delivered personally to her schoolAnother surprise surprise dessert delivered personally to her schoolAnother Pusheen Mystery BoxTickets to Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me, Tina Fey/Amy Poehler, and Jenny LewisFlowers following Clara’s dance recitalFirst-class tickets on the flight back from DCFirst-class tickets on the flight to Everett, WAPusheen gift boxTickets to “Back to the Future” on BroadwayTickets to “Mrs. Doubtfire” at the BushnellA collection of simple syrups from Whidbey IslandRhode Island and Boston weekends planned with friends for the fallSimple syrups

41. Play poker at least six times in 2023.

No progress. It’s ridiculous since I love this game so much.

42. Spend at least six days with my best friend of more than 30 years.

Done.

Two visits in October, including working as DJ at our latest wedding. Seven total visits in 2023 so far.

MUSIC

43. Memorize the lyrics to at least five favorite songs. 

I’ve memorized the lyrics to two new songs so far.

I memorized the lyrics to “Lay It On Me” by Vance Joy and “Come a Little Bit Closer” by Jay and the Americans.

I’m still working on Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way” and “Renegade” by Styx (with Charlie and Clara). I’ve added Elvis’s “Burning Love” and “Come On Eileen” to the list.

44. Learn to play the piano by practicing at least three times a week. 

Done.

MISCELLANEOUS PROJECTS

45. Learn the names of every employee who works at my school.

I learned the name of one paraprofessional at our school. I am now going to begin counting anyone whose name I don’t know.

46. Convert our wedding video to a transferable format.

Done! The wedding video and a great deal of other content were successfully extracted from my ancient Apple laptop. The footage was not removed in perfect order, so some work will need to be done to reassemble the parts of the video, but at last, this goal has been completed.

47. Memorize five new poems.

I’m currently memorizing (and learning to sign) “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost.

But there is a show in Hartford called Other People’s Poems, where you read (and perhaps recite poetry) from memory.

48. Write to at least three colleges about why they should hire me.

I have begun writing the letter, but I wonder if I would still want the job.

49. Complete my Eagle Scout project.

I’ve reached out to the folks who manage the cemeteries in Newington for assistance on this project in March.

No response.

Still need to reach out again.

50. Post my progress regarding these resolutions on this blog and social media on the first day of every month.

Done!

Heidi Klum is a monster

Supermodel, television host, producer, and businesswoman Heidi Klum loves Halloween and makes a point of dressing up extravagantly every year. When she first moved to the United States from Germany in 1993, she “immediately fell in love with Halloween and the spookiness of it.”

“All that was missing was a fantastic party. It felt like a real opportunity for me.”

Since then, she has fully embraced the holiday, becoming famous for her Halloween costumes.

I love this. I admire passion so much.

Ever since I stopped egging houses and frightening small children, Halloween ceased being one of my obsessions, but I adore people who find something they love and embrace and express that love in unique and profound ways.

Klum is especially impressive because her costumes often turn a woman whose fame and wealth are predicated – at least to some degree – on her beauty into a hideous monster.

Or a bizarre alien.

Or someone decades older than she really is.

Or an ogre’s wife.

It’s the last thing I’d expect a supermodel to do, yet she does it with great enthusiasm and a seeming disregard for the thoughts or opinions of others.

Even more than passion, I love people who genuinely don’t care about the thoughts or opinions of others.

Happy Halloween!