I know it's supposed to be Christmas and maybe this is not the right time to finish this blog, but it's on my mind and I gotta get it out...and don't worry, I added some shirtless pics to spruce things up.
This is seemingly everywhere in life right now - the apartment building across from my house in Maine had the worst lawn mowing crew. No pride for their work nor compassion for the people who they were working for (the residents in the building). They'd run their over-priced fancy zero-turn lawn mower over the lawn a few swipes while missing big chunks. Once a month (every other visit) they'd take out the weed-whacker and miss huge chunks of over-grown grass.
I didn't live anywhere spectacular but you can still give a fuck. It's probably been going on since the beginning of time hence the joke about "government quality work". I'm tired of it. I want to see caring and passion and effort.
Too many sites just putting "Content" out and not caring about the quality or if it's what the customer is going to enjoy, I've heard it from a few "rival" companies and it seems they've lost their passion that got them involved in this. It's mostly just filler to keep people coming to their sites. Don't even get me started on YouTube.
Maybe that's what happens when a passion/hobby becomes a job. We lose out on what made things special and fun. I miss the heart and desire of people. Somebody told me many times that "how you do anything is how you do EVERYTHING."
I see this at wrestling schools...and I get it - not everyone can attain greatness...but we can strive for getting close. We can aim to leave everything out there and say we did our best.
Maybe I'm wrong maybe it's simply about being part of the wrestling community and belonging somewhere. But I don't know because I see pro wrestlers leaving shows early when they would have been ecstatic to be at the event the whole time plus hours afterwards. I have a passion for hearing old time wrestlers telling stories...ex-WWE guys giving out wisdom...learning how the production equipment or wrestling ring gets set-up and taken down. I get it - it's a lot to sit through "load-in" and "load-out" plus the whole 2 to 3 hour event.
Where else would you want to be? Home watching YouTube? Playing Xbox? Jacking off in the shower?
Where is the passion? I remember showing up to events and being one of the first people there - sometimes before the promoter. WWE Hall of Fame inductee, Tony Atlas even saying to a student of his to be like Cameron as we pulled into the parking lot to the event at the same time. Pointing out how I dressed as well (business casual at minimum).
Most certainly there have been far better pro wrestlers than me...however, I made up for it by being earlier, staying later, asking questions, helping out, studying, etc.
I recall driving 3 hours to practice where there were only TV level wrestlers (WWE, WCW, NJPW, ROH) and when the trainers heard I drove 3 hours (one-way) and was trying the back, they made a point to give me extra attention.
Originally this started as a blog about passion lacking...then I wanted to talk about A.I. slop -- It's fun to goof with and helpful, but it lacks a soul...and that conflicts with my heart. Maybe it'll grow on me, but I don't know.
Then...I received an email (I read ALL of them) that I made me sad. This email isn't out of the norm for common emails I receive, but this one just reinforced what I expected. Here is that email...
"ABC Wrestling did a decent job on my requests. To be fair, the narrative I gave them was pretty complicated and involved several different characters. They did the best they could, I guess. That being said, my custom matches have been so popular among the fans that ABC Wrestling cut me a deal for another custom to keep the storyline going! 😊 They’re surprisingly flexible on requests, but they’re also very flexible on the execution, and their camera work isn’t the best.
My biggest complaint with ABC Wrestling is they advertise that certain wrestlers will be available for the shoot, so you order a custom video based on those wrestlers, but if one of the wrestlers ends up not being available, they still want you to proceed with filming using a different wrestler. That’s A LOT of money to spend for something I didn’t really want. They don’t issue refunds, and I have to beg and plead with them to postpone my video until the wrestler I want is available."
I shouldn't have been as surprised to read this email as the guy running the web site learned from someone who also has a similar reputation. The old bait-and-switch or "NO REFUNDS" on projects you agreed to but cannot deliver as promised. It's shitty. It's disheartening.
I am tired of custom video collectors getting half-assed videos and hustled into paying for something that doesn't give them what they ordered. I know a lot of these private collectors have a high tolerance for shit, but I'm frustrated by it. I get it, some fans send pages and pages of Hollywood level script and sometimes it's hard to highlight the important pieces without several read throughs. But I think sometimes wrestlers and "producers" just wanna collect some fast cash and don't care about fucking somebody over.
I've refunded custom videos that I couldn't complete. I've offered refunds on videos that I didn't capture how I felt I should've or that I didn't feel the customer got what he asked for....and I definitely turn down ideas that I don't feel I can do correctly.
Thankfully, I've got a good crew of wrestlers, camera folks and helpers that I think appreciate the passion that Wrestler4Hire brings. And it's a fun place to "work."
Again, it's not just one thing - I've been surfing around AirBNB's for a bit now and they sell a lot of sizzle...lots of "Bells & Whistles"...but where the stuff the actually matters in a home? I could complain about construction and lipstick on a pig for much longer than this, but I'm just rambling now.
I don't have a conclusion for this blog...I'm just throwing these thoughts out into the airwaves hoping they catch somebody or an empathic ear.
Cameron, I deeply appreciate your eloquent expressions of thoughts and feelings…I read them over and over, wishing we were enjoying dinner together and hours to share what’s on our minds and hearts. Your blog go a long way toward making me feel like I know you, and I want you to Know that your values are upheld, to the best of my ability, in my life and work as well. As an Actor/singer/Director and Coach, I empathize with you quite profoundly, and am grateful that you hold steadfastly to the passion, discipline, dedication, gratitude and sense of privilege that makes your work, your career – and your life – meaningful. You’ve always inspired and motivated me in my work, and so please know that you have a companion on the Path who respects and admires you. I send you my BEST wishes for a peaceful, joyous Christmas – I’m looking at my tree and listening to the beautiful song…May the New Year bring you renewed hope, faith, fulfillment in all you do, and the best of health in which to savor it all.
NRWwrestling is a Pos scammer. Ordered a custom from them in December of 2024. Never got it or my money back.
Why is it I sometimes feel you are in my head reading my thoughts about life? I appreciate all your blogs but I feel this one hit home the most. You talk a lot about passion and even though we have never met. I am sure you back it up. Sure wish you lived closer. I have decided to live out my passion (wrestling & the gym). Would be nice to have had a wrestling trainer. Keep up the great work and passion.
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3 comments
Cameron, I deeply appreciate your eloquent expressions of thoughts and feelings…I read them over and over, wishing we were enjoying dinner together and hours to share what’s on our minds and hearts. Your blog go a long way toward making me feel like I know you, and I want you to Know that your values are upheld, to the best of my ability, in my life and work as well. As an Actor/singer/Director and Coach, I empathize with you quite profoundly, and am grateful that you hold steadfastly to the passion, discipline, dedication, gratitude and sense of privilege that makes your work, your career – and your life – meaningful. You’ve always inspired and motivated me in my work, and so please know that you have a companion on the Path who respects and admires you. I send you my BEST wishes for a peaceful, joyous Christmas – I’m looking at my tree and listening to the beautiful song…May the New Year bring you renewed hope, faith, fulfillment in all you do, and the best of health in which to savor it all.
NRWwrestling is a Pos scammer. Ordered a custom from them in December of 2024. Never got it or my money back.
Why is it I sometimes feel you are in my head reading my thoughts about life? I appreciate all your blogs but I feel this one hit home the most. You talk a lot about passion and even though we have never met. I am sure you back it up. Sure wish you lived closer. I have decided to live out my passion (wrestling & the gym). Would be nice to have had a wrestling trainer. Keep up the great work and passion.