I had a dream…so maybe this processing has done me some good actually. Phew, you know, I didn’t take a moment to do that and I felt like taking a break from Christmas in Naples might have been a distraction but I needed to just through what happened. Just crazy, you never know where people come from.
Christmas in Naples is a Sport…
The first scene I’m in the car as Barbara Harris telling Franco Franzese on the way to the first feast that this Brazilian woman took me into her car…
Then, it’s the feast. It comes out that I was given away at four and my father had this secret disease. They tell me no, I don’t believe you the entire time. This is not what Christmas is about. Disbelief.
Someone told me — what’s the feeling????? I’m not sure if my nerves or inability to read my body or understand that I didn’t have to go through their disbelief tackle matters…Maybe later.
I might get hit with familial concern — unexpected move by Franco Franzese — straight away, the next morning.
And I knew the questions were coming…the SAME, the same, hands in prayer, THE SAME.
I’ll do the dessert/liquor hour with gambling games for children here…where they ask me the same questions about these four years…the end of era for me, out the glass.
I’ll go outside and maybe have that aside with the reader then…being in the dark…literally…which might work for me. I had no idea what happened. I never had anyone who showed this kind of concern…I have a family after me not friends. I wasn’t expecting a family at thirty-three dealing with Franco Franzese. He was upset. Not necessarily a good sign for me either. My story had an effect. But family responds, typically, if there’s “a situation” on their hands or you hope so, right? I didn’t have that. That’s a pretty big realization for me, no?
I’ll stop there for a moment. That’s probably a sample, that’s a clear suite of ideas. I’m just trying to build the chapter outline even if it changes.
Don’t know what’s next.
The field of breakfast: I was ready the next morning — to take them on. I didn’t know that Christmas in Naples is a sport but I got the MEMO. I’m quick. I suppose that happens when I get familial concern. But then, Franco hits me morning noon and night…so maybe this is a build.
Or, I can write — trying to figure out my life basically speaking, what IS THIS????? That follows what just happened in the dark. I came back a mess. I can then hear Carmine play. You can’t tell I am a mess, I’m sort of hiding, coming to discover who I am again. I didn’t remember who I was to them…they can’t believe I stopped singing.
Stop there.
Vico sings “My Song for Maria” and “My Way” to me back at that first feast. Maybe that comes later since I’m tip-toeing toward the music now. Maybe I’ll end up starting straight at the feast with a song in the air and SKIP that real beginning.
It’s just My Way, “get out of my way” is central, me being four and telling a woman this, trying to warn them, tell them, explain that I was a problem. We flipped out, put on this song. But that doesn’t mean I have to tell them just yet. Maybe that would be more satisfying later. Along with My Song for Maria even if Vico launched it the second my foot stepped onto his property before My Way. Maybe that’s better. Maybe me telling you some of this backend is fun because I’m trying to put my story together…what is it? And it was chaos.
And it’s not even The Eve of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Dec 7th. I’m not even one week in. So maybe My Song for Maria comes a little later…maybe the feast of the immaculate conception with Rosa, the whole thing, since I’m connecting with much more than them…the music thing. Not My Way…not yet. We want “it’s a Christmas institution…” but maybe further into my story.
That to me makes more sense.
It’s fun holding onto the reigns, not quite letting it go, and figuring out the moment where you do — play the sport of it. Just let it go. But you sort of have to get there, it seems.
I’ll see how that goes. I’ll start at the feast.
It’s relieving to get a little validation — take a break, process some of that epic epic year…that seemed to release a few pieces of the book. Isn’t that interesting? My dreams have been a bit challenging in places. These are the dreams I want to have.
For this book, I can break up these sections and tell it a little better. That content I just organized is basically just one feast. Not even a feast. Putting a story together is mysterious, I don’t know the word, but it’s how you put it together. That’s the fun part. Not describing their homes yet, too. That’s probably what makes the difference between a good story and a great one. Their house, in the beginning, for example, might not hold any meaning, but later on, the home might just resonate. I still like that idea, not just describing it.
Then, there are ideas that might not work, what are you going to do? I love a good story, thinking about what that is.
Someone suggested that “family” was my main idea in life when storytelling might be it, changing the narrative, since for me, this story was a problem I’m seeking to resolve…and this family even presents a challenge because of it. Franco Franzese so concerned. I learn, I do, through it. How to open up. That I was right, too, sorry.
And to insert the Oldest Storyteller — so many of these ideas: home, do you describe it now or later when there’s meaning comes from that story. When I’m in that place, writing that. Which is cool, I think, that idea really made me think about details such as that.
I appreciate that writing a little about 2020-2021 brought that dream. Some pieces of Christmas in Naples is a Sport settled, just like that. I gotta tell you, this is the dream I would like to have, so processing some of that year cleared my head. No one in my life really knows about all that. So good, taking a break did me some good, so I can put what I just wrote as my new chapter outline. And I can work a little today on putting that first set of scenes together and keep going.
I’ll maybe stick to just Christmas in Naples for now on social, I don’t care — you know? I have two social media accounts by accident. I keep figuring out the themes, what I’m about, I just want to do whatever is going to help me. Still that focus. I’m looking at pitching and all this — there’s Substack. Just have to keep on plugging into my intuition because I experienced a miracle…I should be able to connect with what’s going to help me.
And, I left off at Sacha Baron Cohen as Jodorowsky’s Dune, lol, last night — about to move into the next section of the Mother’s Day 2021 experience. That being one of them. And this, you see, this is what happened. I had a dream, reached a new point of clarity about Naples.
I’m going to get some coffee. Work on Christmas in Naples a little and see if I can make some videos today for this week that I can post everywhere. I don’t need two social media accounts. It’s Christmas in Naples. Look, you know, not all my friends, but I felt a bit of energy that made this confusing…like, I do not care about social media. That much. To the point I’m judging someone’s use of it. But if someone tells me to post more for a moment, I’m going to listen to them. I can’t help where I’m at. Then, I’m in Istanbul but this is not the point. It’s not like Dr. J…the character can begin to live and breathe…in Istanbul, looking into windows. But I’m not there yet. I’m trying to have a focus, which is what I wanted to do from way back there. I’ll proceed on that note.
It really confused me. I got advice a couple of years ago to figure social media out but not to get my writing strategy in gear— like just go pitch, just concentrate on that, you need money — so now, a couple of years later, I felt a bit lost…being told to concentrate on Istanbul, when this is not my objective. You know? I had to take a sec.
That’s why I moved to Tik Tok, away from my friends, because it’s a stage, a channel, of some kind. I get that. Instagram is too but I might as well share Naples. I might let go of Miracle Mile. That’s a good essay, good thing for me to talk about, I’ll get there, for sure. I’ll concentrate on Naples. Across the board. That’s the main thing I’m working on — the whole point. Again, being personal, whatever, doing this for my friends, I mean, I hope they like how hilarious and great Naples is, if they aren’t my audience, who cares?
Sacha Baron Cohen as Jodorowsky’s Dune.
Focus, clarity, precision.
Think about what he did.
We will change the world!
I’ll tell you more later.