25 Years...More Than I Expected. (Written on My Birthday)

This morning I woke up and said to myself, "Happy Birthday, Neil. You're a quarter of a century old today." Then I thought of all the new freedoms that surviving this extra year brings. Like the ability to rent a car...and that's about it.

So in honor of my 25 years of existence I will toot my own proverbial horn and list 25 things I have accomplished so far. Then, I will list 25 things I want to accomplish in the next 25 years.

25 Accomplishments

1. I survived to 25 (Honestly, I really thought I would be dead by now.)
2. I went on tour of the western United States with a punk band when I was 17.
3. I've written at least 25 songs in my life (how's that for serendipitous?)
4. I've recorded 5 CDs with three different bands. (Here are two of them: 1 & 2)
5. I've learned how to play 2 different instruments (Guitar and Bass)
6. In the eighth grade I had a one-act play published in a writing magazine.
7. I've performed in at least 8 stage plays in starring roles (one of them Shakespearean.)
8. I was in a seminary video.
9. I've been in 4 commercials (2 Smith's, 1 nutrition, and a Utah Starzz commercial.)
10. I was in an English as a second language video.
11. When I was 14 I modeled for a mobile basketball stand box.
12. I graduated from high school.
13. I was in a Feature Films For Families Movie (For Sale Online here...warning, I was 14 when I made it and I overacted like HELL! So cut me some slack please.) ;oP
14. I am a stand-up comic.
15. I headlined a comedy club when I was 18.
16. I've participated in 3 comedy competitions and have won 2 of them.
17. When I was 19 I went on a small comedy tour of the western United States.
18. I have opened for Lewis Black, Jamie Kennedy, Big Jay Okerson, and other great comics.
19. My friends and I won a short film competition with this video (Note that video is three years old, so the quality isn't that great...sorry.)
20. I was a soccer referee for 3 years.
21. I met David Sedaris.
22. When I was 15 I bought a wrecked car with my own money and fixed it up (and I have done that with the last 3 cars I have owned.)
23. I booked comics for dances and parties thrown by utahparties.com
24. Last summer I went to New York City!
25. I've been accepted into UVU's film program.

25 Goals/Hopes For Before I Turn 50:

1. Graduate from college.
2. Move out of Utah.
3. Get Married.
4. Write 25 more songs.
5. Write a feature film length screenplay.
6. Get a film produced.
7. Direct a film. Non-Pornographic only.
8. Write a novel.
9. Lose 50 Pounds!!!!
10. Work on a real film crew.
11. Buy a house.
12. Own a miniature goat as a pet.
13. Travel to France.
14. Travel to Germany.
15. Travel to Ireland.
16. Travel to England. Or to a lesser extent...Canada.
17. Build houses and schools in Africa.
18. Start the Chelsea Anderson Memorial Scholarship.
19. Meet Quentin Tarantino.
20. Meet Christopher Nolan.
21. Get a film submitted or work on a film that gets into Sundance or Cannes.
22. Learn to speak another language fluently. Learn how to speak English too.
23. Go skydiving.
24. Write a musical.
25. Master Final Cut Pro, Photoshop, and all other Apple/Adobe products!

So in closing...Happy Birthday to Me.

Thank You,

Neil Hiatt, Age 25