I went through many rewrites before settling in on my final routine -- in the end, I went with what you see in the video attached to this entry. Here are a few of my favorite moments from the weekend:
- After the Saturday evening service, Selina and I met Mr. Caviezel and got his autograph. When we walked up, his friend said, "Jim, this is Ryan, he's the guy that did the opening we were all laughing at!" We shook Jim's hand and he said I was hilarious and very natural on the stage... I told him that was the greatest compliment of my entire life!
- On Sunday, after doing my opening, as I was coming off the stage, Jim gave me a hug. I wasn't expecting it, so I leaned into the hug after he was moving on. I ended up bumping into Shawn Wood, a Seacoast pastor who was walking directly behind him.
- On Sunday afternoon, I came back to the church for a video shoot and walked into the "bullpen" (a waiting room for the Sunday speakers). When I walked in, Jim Caviezel was sitting in a chair facing away from me. When he turned and saw me he said, while shooing me away, "Hey 50 feet, 50 feet!" referencing a line from my opening.
All in all, a cool experience I won't soon forget... a special thank you to my wife, who coached me repeatedly on my opening!
