“Hey B, can you move your car?” My mother yelled up to my attic bedroom. There aren’t many shortened versions of my name since Brian is pretty short already. Only my family and close friends call me B and I kinda like it. I was in my second year at my second university on my second major…I was a super duper senior and worried that I would become a professional. Needless to say my parents were really putting the pressure on to finish school and major in something…anything…
I was rushing to hang out with a group of friends after classes and my friend Sandy noticed how stressed and frantic I was at that moment. She asked me what was stressing me out and I told her that I had so much work for classes on top of my part time job and SOOOOOOO much to do. She stopped me and calmly said,
“You are not a human doing, you are a human being, just be.”
Just be…two simple words and I was strangely at peace with the world.
Those words comforted me and have stuck with me throughout the years. Anytime I am too stressed to think and I have so much to do, I remind myself to take a breath and just be.
Years later after closing a play in Baltimore I was leaving a theater with some of the cast and helped my friend Richard take some belongings to his car. After closing the trunk I looked down and saw the license plate “SMPLYB” it read.
I proceeded to tell Richard my story and then everything clicked. Just be…just B…Not only is that me, but it is my philosophy. It was the universe giving me the kick in the pants I needed.
So here I am, just B and this is the beginning of my adventure.
Till next time.
B