Somewhere over the air on the way to Boson, MA

Yo what's up dear Dasher?
I received your letter. On a plane headed for Boston and thought I would take a minute to respond. I understand your concerns and I hope that what I offer will be of some slight service. Something came to me this morning dog. so in answer to your questions about what to do and what not to do for your career, here's some off the head babbling... read at your own risk my brother.

As you make your move to your new place. a few things came to my mind to relate to you:

This place is outside the city so its going to be easy to chill more, relax more, lay back more, and read/dream more. BUT DON'T. YOU MUST STAY IN THE ACTION ALL THE TIME RIGHT NOW. SEIZE ALL OPPORTUNITIES THAT COME YOUR WAY. WHAT YOU’RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS BUILDING YOUR NAME. BUILDING THE BRAND KNOWN AS Dasher, the handsome man about town and up and coming actor. That means you have to get that shit out there EVERYWHERE.

With your roommate smoking a lot of weed, the tendency is going to be to smoke and drink and talk and plan things. DO NOT DO THIS. IT IS GOING TO WASTE YOUR TIME. YOU MUST AVOID THIS KIND OF ACTIVITY. PLENTY OF GUYS DO THIS DURING THEIR TWENTIES AND THEN LOOK BACK LATER AND REALIZE THAT THEY FUCKED AWAY SOME GOOD YEARS. SO DON'T DO IT. its fine if other peeps want to do that with their time. but YOU don't want that. I know what you want. And I'm telling you right now, don't even waste your time with it.

I'll tell you a true story my brother: and I hope it gives some clarification for where you are right now just in case you ever need to reflect on this story. When I was 25 I quit doing drugs. Just decided I didn't want to do them anymore. Did more than a fair share as you know and feel damn lucky to be alive. A few pills here and there, no problem, or getting drunk now and then is probably a good thing to do for the mind and the spirit, as you well know, but all other drugs, I said fuck it, especially pot which is the drug of the lazy dreamer with lots of ideas but no resources and no desire to go out and get the resources; or the rich kids with a lot of time on their hands and no ideas in their minds; [there will always be exceptions to all rules, the great God Chaos, but you show me a hundred pot smokers who are rich and kicking ass and one who is poor and always behind the eight ball rather than the other way around and I'll change my tune. You know what I'm saying?] Either way you're fucked if you hang with these types too much. I could see where this was going and I didn’t want to go there myself. I would see my friends sitting around doing drugs or drinking and talking talking taking. Always making plans and talking. while they did their drugs or got drunk. Usually I would bail on those scenes. in the music and art and entertainment business everyone does drugs, drinks, and smokes, so it isn't easy. All around you find reasons to smoke or drink or do drugs. But I knew that if I could create enough strength to quit all that stuff then I would be STRONGER, as opposed to if I continued to do that stuff I would be staying the same. I did it. and yes because of doing it, in order to do it, I became a much stronger man. Its like this. anyone can be a Robert downey jr or a Kurt cobain if you will. the entertainment world is filled with them. some of them lucky and some of them not so lucky. but to be a Robert Redford or a Sting. Now that my friend is a rare commodity indeed.

Now fly ahead a few years. I started meeting people again from my early twenties who never did make the leap. They kept on smoking and drinking and doing drugs and used every excuse in the book for why they were still doing that stuff. what I saw was very depressing. Men who were still not men. People who were only half of what they could be. you know what I have achieved over the last five or six years so there's no need to go over it with you. I left that scene in the dust and never looked back. now bro I'll be honest, it isn't easy sometimes to be this way. when you pull up and jump out of a back of a limo or a Ferrari or whatever and everyone else is still looking for gas money for their beat up Honda or Toyota, sometimes that's hard to feel cool around them. You can feel them judging you in the air. as if you aren't as ‘cool’ because you aren't as poor. It’s a funny thing, that is true. so I'm going to tell you this: DON'T EVER WORRY ABOUT FITTING IN. I feel that potentiality in you sometimes. But don't ever let yourself worry about the success that you want out of life. That's all you and you shouldn’t feel bad for it.

Dasher you’ve got some sick potential. So you have to run with that. and forget about everyone else around you and what they're doing. Go for every single opportunity that comes your way. and celebrate every success you have and when you find people around you doing a lot of talking but not much doing, bail. And go DO SOMETHING. TAKE AN ACTION.
You dig what I'm saying? I wish for you to be the next tom cruise because I would love to take advantage of your wealth and fame!!! Haha! Hope this letter helps. Take it however you want to. Good luck! And kick ass! I believe in you.
Your friend,
Fishy
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Flash forward an hour or so. I put the laptop away. Staring off into the distance of the airplane cabin. Men, women, children. People. We are all people. I am a person. Man reading a newspaper next to me. USA Today. Political news. Grunting. Moaning. Guffawing. “Crazy times,” I comment.
“Indeed,” he answers without looking over at me. “It’s not boding too well over there for you all now...”
“Who’s that?” I ask.
“For the Americans,” he says, “in Iraq. You are an American?”
“I am. In the old fashion sense of the word.”
What do you mean by that?
Well you know. It isn't easy now, being an American. Hard times for us.
Yes, I can imagine. The war certainly has not furthered your cause.
That's for sure. I leaned back in my seat.
I'm Fishy by the way...
My name is Philippe Chevalier.
You are French?
I am French.
I thought I heard French. I'm studying French right now.
So you speak French then?
No. not a bit. I can’t get it. Don't understand a word of it. 
I bet it is difficult for you.
It is. So what brings you to America?
I am in international finance.
Never sure what that meant.
Banking. We loan money.
Euro’s up. That must be good for you.
Dollars down. That's not good for anyone.
Except the Chinese. So they can buy more.
So you study economics as well?
I try. I don't think I'm too good at it yet.
What are you good at? What do you do for a living?
I'm a singer, and a songwriter.
Are you famous?
I try to be.
Have you ever had a number one?
I've never even had a number one-hundred. But thanks for reminding me. Laughs.
I'm sure you'll get there.
Hope so. Perhaps if I become a rapper.
That music is very big here in America.
Yes it is. Do you ever listen to rap over there in France?
Honestly I don't understand it. Its not my cup of tea. It seems that all they sing about... It seems to be all about sex and money.
Hey what else is there? Like French film. I laugh.
You make a good point.
Let me ask you a question. If I may.
Go right ahead.
Why is it that in every French film husbands and wives are always having affairs on each other? What is that? Is that really the way it is? he laughs.
So you are a connoisseur of French film?
More of a curious observer I would say.
Well it isn't all French films.
Well nearly all of them. Its crazy how everyone cheats on each other. What is that?
Part of the culture. A very old tradition, part of the European way of life. an important one, he laughs. without that tradition, I'm afraid we would all be very bored. he laughs.
Very different than in America.
Here everyone just gets divorced.
Yes. Laughs. I guess that's true. so you're not a rap connoisseur then?
No I cannot say that I like much rap music. and you?
Yes. I like it very much. Its my favorite music right now. Although I understand what you are saying about their lyrics. The content itself leaves a lot to be desired. Which is too bad. Because I think it’s the most creative stuff happening right now in music.
I've heard that. My kids listen to it.
I'm sure they do. Everyone does now. I think its just where the culture is now. that stuff is important to them. It’s the whole power symbol thing.
You mean the lyrics?
Yeah. Kids can relate to it because what do kids think about? Money and sex. Two things they never have enough of. Laughs. For the American black I think its bigger than that. I think it’s all about power symbols. The symbol of their climb to power over the last few decades in our country.
That's an interesting way to look at it.
You know, sometimes when I break it down... I mean, who is it who talks about money and power? People who don't have money and power. Right?
In the old world, there was an etiquette such as this. I do not believe that it exists much anymore. These are different times. Everyone is a billionaire. Or they die trying to become one.
Yeah. Exactly. And that's my point. People who have lots of money and power don't speak of it, do they. If anything they try to be discreet about it; Donald trump withstanding, but he's the exception.
He seems like a silly man with a big mouth.
That's what you all think?
That's what I think. I can’t speak for anyone else.
He's a cowboy. I've met him a few times. Heard him speak. He's funny. Discretion obviously not one of his strong points. You know, I just think we need him right now. these big mouthed renegade cowboys flaunting all their money. Nobody has any fucking money in America these days. I don't know if you’ve noticed.
We’ve noticed. Why do you think we’re here? A lot of money to be made in America right now. Investors and companies such as mine, if they're positioned right, have the opportunity to buy America for literally pennies on the dollar at this time.
But why would you want to do that if as you say our dollar isn't worth anything and our economy is sliding?
Well America is a lot like Rome was in its heyday. It’s the emperor’s new clothes scenario.
Yeah I know. I've read it a million times.
There is still a perceived value here. America is still the place where everything is happening. It’s the roman empire of the modern world. The only problem is that your government has mismanaged your money and resources for so long that now you are facing an extreme recession the likes of which you have never experienced before. Your government continues to print money like it grows on trees. It is the only thing that has kept your country afloat the last two years. Unfortunately now they are selling it in the form of bonds and t bills and jobs and industries faster than anyone can keep track of to the highest bidder. That's how china, as you said earlier, has managed to purchase so much of your American dollars. The people have no idea what is happening. All they do know is that no one seems to have any money. so they keep borrowing it. Everyone in your country is borrowing money. so companies like ours come here to loan that money to your people. 
I shifted in my seat and faced forward. I let out a huge sigh. “Our market was down a hundred and eighty points yesterday... gold too.”
“Yes I know. But do you know why?”
“I don't know. who knows?”
“Plenty of people know. they just don't speak about it. Yesterday morning the vice governor of china announced that their gdp would drop a few percentage points and he recommended that money lending be restricted world-wide. And who do you think they loan more money to than anyone else? America. Within hours the American stock market lost over a hundred points as you say. Gold dropped thirteen dollars. Commodity markets fell. Many world currencies dropped.”
“I didn't know that.”
“No of course you didn't. No one here did. Your media doesn’t speak of it. You could have turned on any financial news show in America yesterday and not one of them spoke about why the American market indicators suffered such a blow in a matter of a few hours. No one wants to let the cat out of the bag. That's what you say, yes?”
“Yeah, that's what we say.”
“Don't let it get you down. Things will pick up in America. there wouldn’t be such a rush to buy it up if we didn't believe that. you seem to be doing quite well for yourself anyway, he said and looked around the first class cabin as if to imply I was rich and shouldn’t worry.
You mean this? Man I don't fly first class because I'm rich. I fly first class because of conversations like this. do you know what conversations are like in coach?
No, I can’t say that I do. I've never flown coach.
Well you're lucky. there are no conversations in coach because everyone is too damned uncomfortable.
I'm sure that's quite true.
Last time I flew I sat right next to James Carville in the vip room and had a wonderful opportunity to talk with him about a lot of these same subjects.
Now that's a real American cowboy as you say.
Yes he is. one of the greatest. Strange, but interesting.
I can imagine.
We didn't speak for a minute. I looked over and noticed what he was reading. There it was on the front page of USA Today. The headline read “How Iraq perceives the coalition: Occupiers 71%. Liberators 19%.”
Crazy huh? I nodded to the headline in the paper.
You could call it that. We have different words to describe it in France actually.
I'm sure you do.
How did you feel about the war Fishy?
Oh that's a completely different story. Too much to go into. I wasn't for it though, if that's what you mean.
There wasn't much support anywhere in the world for it, was there?
No. I guess not.
And how do you feel about that? as an American?
I don't know. How can you feel? I mean, I'm an American. I live here. this is my home. But I'll tell you this. This headline... about how the Iraqi people feel about us being over there... That's certainly different than how our government talks about it. they act like we are liberators. That's what the smiling puppet heads are always saying on the TV. Laughs.
Well I doubt that even they believe that at this point. But if they do, they're the only ones. Everytime they attack or kill one of your soldiers you can see the people in the street cheering and waving to the cameras. Its not like those are just “insurgents” as your media tries to imply. Those are regular everyday Iraqi people. and they seem to be very happy to kill the occupiers every chance they get. I think it’s a little misguided for the American government to refer to the entire Iraqi population as “insurgents” in their own country.”

I looked up the word insurgent in my Clie. “Rising in opposition to civil or political authority, or against an established government; insubordinate; rebellious.” I showed it to Philippe.
You have a dictionary in there?
I have five dictionaries in here. cool huh? I see what you mean... It seems like we’re the insurgents over there. We’re the ones who rose up in opposition to their established government.... right or wrong. I see what you mean.” He only nodded and smiled. “I don't know anyone personally who believes it. The feeling we have here now is more of a feeling of just could you please just get it over.”
You don't feel safer now that your country has liberated the Iraqi people from the evil clutches of Saddam Hussein? He said this with a very sly smile on his face. He was obviously being sarcastic.
I don't know. he didn't seem like much of a threat to us really. I think again that everyone knows this now and just wishes we would finish the job so our men would stop dying over there. its crazy. I cannot imagine what it is like for the families of these men who are dying. I can’t think about it. Its awful and unreal for us to think about.
It is a sad thing to watch for the entire world right now. everyone feels bad for the Americans right now. it almost seems that your country has been taken hostage in a way. if you know what I mean.
I shifted in my seat to face him. “I totally know what you mean. I've been saying the same thing. that's what it feels like to us too. we didn't even vote for that war. But really, in a way, we did vote on it, and we voted against it. there were protests in our streets every month against it. I don't know if you all realize that. it was obvious that the people didn't think it was a good idea.
We did notice it. that's why American sentiment has been so positive worldwide. Its not your people that we are against. I hope the American people understand that. All over the world. In France we had over a half a million people protest against it. in London they had over a million people in their streets.
Italy too.
Yes Italy was very opposed to the invasion. They still are.
Yeah, well, like I said. How are we supposed to feel... its not a good thing. Maybe in the long run it will be. Who knows? That’s what we’re all hoping for. But for now. Its not a good feeling.
I can imagine. War is never a good thing.
Philippe?
“Yes?”
“Do you really think things are going to get better for us here?” He didn't answer at first, and rubbed his chin for a while. I took that as a no. I faced forward again and closed my eyes. I just sat there trying to envision the old version of America. baseball and families and apple pie. A smiling happy honest America.... ‘There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home...’