The secret life of Walter Mitty

Never before have I seen a film with which I can relate 100%. I don’t mean that I believe that I have lived as unfulfilling as Walter had up until the point of the film – although I do have certain periods where I know I closed the door of opportunity very firmly in my own face – but it was great to see someone whose brain just didn’t stop.

Granted, I don’t stare off in to space as if I’m blind drunk. However, I have fallen asleep on my feet whilst drunk and wondered where the people who were talking to me went. And there was one time when a colleague and I put over 10 tablespoons of instant coffee into an espresso cup and I drank it and customers complained that I was ‘looking at them funny’ and ‘kept walking off whilst I was talking to him’. Oh, and there was also the time I was concussed from a sparring session and went to get some stock and basically blacked out on my feet for 30 minutes. THIRTY MINUTES. I have no clue where they went.

Anyway, rather like Walter, I’ve drifted off the subject somewhat. My brain does exactly what Walter’s does. It launches me into some of the coolest adventures a person could have. Thankfully I don’t actually act them out, because there would be a) lots of bad guys dead all over the place b) dragons c) some really audacious bank robberies to explain. And that’s just a few of the things that race through my head as I perform heart surgery. I’m kidding! I’m a bomb disposal technician. Gotcha! I’m actually an experienced martial artist who just rescued Jackie Chan from a bunch of muggers and got asked to be in his latest film. Seriously, my world – or should that be worlds – is pretty cool sometimes. Other times it can be pretty damn dark. Either way, my life is full of ideas and dreams. I give my youngest a dream every night that I’m home. I have done ever since she was able to ask me for one. So, probably over 1200 dreams minimum. All different.

That’s one reason I decided that I would form www.alternative-realities.co.uk, because I can’t contain the ideas, I certainly can’t capture all of them and write them down. Alternative Realities means that I can capture the concept, the idea, the soul, of an adventure and then (hopefully) have someone else write it.

Afterall, I firmly believe that dreams and thoughts are like raindrops. They fall from the sky, hitting people all over the place. Most people just shrug them off, shivering at the icy feeling as one runs down their back. Other people laugh, look up at the sky and try to capture the drops in their mouth. They’re the people who take the ideas and run with them. And they’re the people I hope will come and work with me and Alternative Realities. Because I need more Walter Mittys in my life.