Tag Archives: friends

An Interview with Director, David Wachs – Part One

Vitality Stories

David Wachs and Jack Beers

David Wachs and Jack Beers

an interview with

Director, David Wachs

Part One – Behind the Scenes

 

Who, What, Why

In October, I wrote about Jack Beers and the documentary of his life, Holes In My Shoes. And when I couldn’t get Mr. Beers out of my head, I also mentioned him here.

Vitality Stories captures the life stories of those who have lived and learned, so it’s not a surprise I was drawn to a feature documentary called Holes In My Shoes. 94-year-old Jack’s zeal for life heavily influenced me, and in large part, this is due to the man who met Jack Beers and recognized there was a vitality story to share, someone who had the vision and talent to deliver the documentary in a way that would, indeed, make it ‘An inspirational story for all ages, and that man is Director, David Wachs.

I wanted to better understand the connection between David Wachs and Jack Beers, and as a person on her own creative journey, I was curious how and why Mr. Wachs chooses his projects, which are many and varied, ranging from pilots to children’s series, including We’re Puppeteers! for Nick Jr. He granted me an interview, and after a long conversation with Mr. Wachs, I was rewarded with a life lesson and inspiration as I learned more about his recent endeavors. Continue reading

Holes In My Shoes – The Jack Beers Story

Vitality Stories

holes_promo_photo

Jack Beers, promotional photo provided by Holes In My Shoes

Jack Beers

What are we living for?

Holes In My Shoes

I recently watched Holes In My Shoes, a documentary directed by David Wachs, chronicling the life story of 94 year-old, Jack Beers. As lessons tend to go, Jack’s story drove home something I’ve been hearing and writing about a lot lately: whatever you choose to do, put your heart into it.

Jack Beers was born in 1910 and survived the Great Depression, growing up in Lower East Side New York City. He decided to drop out of school because he wanted to help support his parents and siblings. When he told his father, his dad said, “If you’re going to sweep floors, I want you to be the best floor sweeper. Anything you do, be the best at it.”* And so Jack set out to be the best at everything he did. Continue reading

How To Pay Off Debt With Heart

Vitality Stories

photo by Gretchen LeMay Photography

photo by Gretchen LeMay Photography

How To Pay Off Debt With Heart

Sometimes it takes a village

In Tiger Drive, Carrie Sloan is seventeen and knows college is her only way out of her neighborhood and away from her toxic parents and absent, older siblings. She is conflicted about leaving her two little brothers behind, but believes breaking free from the family mold is the best thing she can do for them. But even without the family’s secrets and choices complicating her every move, Carrie won’t be able to pursue her education without financial aid and she is determined to write a winning scholarship essay.

While Tiger Drive is fiction, I can relate to Carrie and the obstacles she faces and I drew from personal feelings to write her. At seventeen, I was a senior in high school and supporting myself with two jobs after school and on the weekends. If not for a Pell Grant and a generous Continue reading

Vitality Stories Lesson #2 – November 10, 2014

Vitality Stories Lesson #2 

Scan 15

 

 

Bonnie’s (bottom right) first job out of high school at a CBS radio station in Minneapolis.

 

 

Quality friendships count and the matter, rather than the method, is key.

Bonnie married three times, had nine children, owned several dogs, and often worked swing shift waitressing in casinos, and while she never had a minute to herself, she was heart-numbingly lonely. She wondered, Continue reading