I AM.... IRON MAN!

I would like my Robert Downey Jr. (Celebrity) Paper to be revised. I probably enjoyed writing this paper the most this year and I thought that I was very creative with it. I thought I did a decent job on the paper, and really liked figuring out creative ways to portray the celebrity character. Being that it was one of the earlier papers this year, it is definitely somewhat rough and could use some touch up. But, I wrote it knowing exactly what I wanted to do, which was portray Robert Downey Jr. as a role model, and I at least succeeded in that aspect. The paper does well in providing interesting descriptions.

I really liked my introduction, as I feel I was very descriptive, yet interesting. There wasn't a line in the introduction that I did not like. It is as follows: "My knee was throbbing. I had been waiting in the airport for over two hours. The new rod in my left tibia was not fairing well for my comfort, never mind airport security. I can’t tell you how many times I have been asked to step aside after walking through a screaming metal detector. It has come to the point where I don’t even stop to remove my belt, watch, or whatever else may set off the alarm. This time particularly, the security guards gave me a rather rough time, since I didn’t bring my “I have a metal rod in my leg” card. Of course, with my luck, I missed my flight, requiring me to reschedule for that evening’s red eye." I really think this draws the reader in and makes them want to read more. Although they have no idea what the story is about, it provides an interesting opening that could open up into a good read.

Also, I think I did a good job with my observatory details. That is, explaining details of my surroundings in the story. One of my favorite examples of this was; "After getting settled, and stretching my legs out, all of the other passengers begin to board. I recognize some of them from the lobby, but others are new. Nothing too alarming. A businessman and a spoiled teenage girl also claim their first class seats, but everyone else just passes by, secretly in envy." I think this helps paint a better picture in the readers head, so that they can further understand the story and enjoy it more.

My "rough edges" were present in the story as well. Looking back one of my least favorite lines was "So basically you want to know what pushed me into rehab and how I was able to finally kick my bad habit?" I thought this was a very unnecessary and just poor sounding sentence. This was because he was simply rewording what I had said previously and doing it in a manner that sounds very corny to the reader. I also was not very satisfied with my descriptions towards the end. I should have talked more about the details of the conversation with Robert Downey Jr. That would have helped make the story more interesting.

I may have been lacking in areas that were slightly more important. Things such as grammar, idea, and overall flow may have been left behind. After reading it again, I realize it sounded fairly corny towards the end and could definitely be improved. Having that said, there are a few things that I want to be revised. The first thing is the overall flow of the story. Does it flow throughout the entire paper? If not, what can I do to improve that flow? Also, how can I make the story less corny? It almost feels artificial towards the end when he is describing what happened to him. This leads to the question of how should I break up the story of his past? I want "me" in the story to be listening the entire time, but I want the reader to be comfortable reading a longer passage without breaks. Finally, what can I do to overall improve the message my story gives off? I feel like there are definitely things I could do to improve my "moral of the story".

The Iron Man

            My knee was throbbing. I had been waiting in the airport for over two hours. The new rod in my left tibia was not fairing well for my comfort, never mind airport security. I can’t tell you how many times I have been asked to step aside after walking through a screaming metal detector. It has come to the point where I don’t even stop to remove my belt, watch, or whatever else may set off the alarm. This time particularly, the security guards gave me a rather rough time, since I didn’t bring my “I have a metal rod in my leg” card. Of course, with my luck, I missed my flight, requiring me to reschedule for that evening’s red eye.

            The family that was waiting next to the seat I was currently occupying had some kind of issue with staying quiet. If we were in the Library of Congress, this family would have ten security guards escorting them within a matter of seconds. I was overhearing a conversation about a new movie called Iron Man that was supposedly meant to inspire little kids to run around jumping off everything they could rest their eyes on. Just as one of the kids burst into song, “I am Iron Man…”, the loudspeaker came on finally announcing that my flight could now be boarded.  

            If you didn’t pick up on my leg issue before, I had surgery because of a growth in my leg that was pushing out on the bone. Basically, the doctors messed up bad and now I’m stuck with a compressed nerve for a while. Anyway, because of this I’m allowed to board plane flights first, that is, if I get through security fast enough. This is one of the few times I have been able to take advantage of it. First class, here we come.

            When I walk through the tunnel to board the bridge I’m escorted by security personnel because a guy with a bad limp is a dangerous citizen… not. I find my seat, the first one there. Now, this is clearly a spot meant for the wealthy. Not only is it first class, but there are only two seats next to each other, with beds on the other side. Keep in mind that this is not a transatlantic flight. I suppose some people like to nap for the hour and a half trip it takes to get from Philadelphia to New York. As I continue to examine the plane, I recognize the curtain that shields me from the whiny families, the bartender whose sole purpose is to get people feeling tipsy, and of course, the high definition televisions for each seat. That’s right, each seat.

            After getting settled, and stretching my legs out, all of the other passengers begin to board. I recognize some of them from the lobby, but others are new. Nothing too alarming. A businessman and a spoiled teenage girl also claim their first class seats, but everyone else just passes by, secretly in envy.

            Finally, the flight attendant comes on the speaker and announces the departure. Just as the plane’s engine starts to rev into action, the door to the plane opens again as a man dressed in a navy blue suit races in. He isn’t carrying anything with him but a bottle of water. He looks important. For a minute he fumbles with his ticket, then finds his seat. He takes up the seat next to mine. There goes my peaceful flight.

            Once the plane was in the air, I started to feel like I recognized the man from somewhere. The thought quickly passed and I tried to catch some sleep.

            Midway through the flight, I woke up to the man next to me tapping my shoulder. “Excuse me, sir… I have to go to the bathroom, but I did not want to step on your feet.” I suppose I had my legs stretched out to keep comfortable.

            “What? Oh… sure, sure.” I responded tiredly.

            The man got up, easily walking passed me now that my long legs were out of the way. When he looked at me in thanks, it clicked. I knew exactly who he was almost immediately. It was the actor, Robert Downey Jr.

            For a minute I just sat in my seat pondering the thought of riding a plane next to a celebrity. Should I get his autograph? Take a picture? There were so many things I could ask him. I finally decided that I would just play it cool and try not to upset the guy.

            A few seconds later, he came back from the bathroom and sat down. For some reason I was actually nervous. I turned to him, kind of like a fifth grader asking out his first girlfriend, and said “Hey… aren’t you Robert Downey Jr.?”

            He responded with an upbeat, “Well yes I am!”

            A bit surprised by his response, I just said “cool” real quietly.

            Thinking the conversation was over, he asked me, “So, have you seen the new movie?”

            I knew that he played the main role in Iron Man, but I hadn’t seen it, and to be honest, I didn’t plan to. However, I replied “No I haven’t seen it yet, but I really want to.” I used this as a way to sort of suck up to him.

            “Right, right.” He said. “So enough about that, who are you and what do you do?”

            I told him my name, my life story in short, what I did, and what my intentions were within the next ten minutes rather briefly.

            Then, I remembered the special on Oprah the previous week with Robert Downey Jr. discussing his past. Rather stupidly and abruptly, I said, “How did you overcome your drug addiction?” I immediately regretted my decision and blushed a little bit.

            For a minute I thought he was going to bite my head off. It wasn’t until he smiled and said “What would you like to know?” that I let out a sigh of relief.

            “Well, I mean, I know plenty of people who use drugs recreationally and even some who are addicted, but I’ve never known someone who had the power to go to rehab and put their life back on track.”

            “So basically you want to know what pushed me into rehab and how I was able to finally kick my bad habit?” The actor replied.

            I nodded, thinking that this was going to be an interesting flight.

            “Well, drugs became an everyday part of my life from a very young age, starting mainly with Marijuana. However, eventually my friends and the adults around me were doing more drugs, so I though it couldn’t hurt to try. I would tell myself that I was only going to take one pill, one time, or that I would only snort cocaine once. Eventually it got to the point where I was telling myself that I was only going to shoot up one time, and then it became two times, and so on. I never realized that I had a problem. I was living fine, financially. It was the other aspects that brought me to realization. I couldn’t hold a job, and I would continually get worse and worse positions on set. My wife left me, and no one would really talk to me. It was just me and my heroin. Sean Penn at the time dragged me to the rehab center. Doing what I thought was the best thing at the time, I escaped and continued with my old ways. After a few more close calls with the drug, and messed up relationships, I knew something had to be done. I called a few friends and asked them to take me into a rehab center. I couldn’t do anymore jail time, and this lifestyle was not working for me. Once you make the decision, the recovery is easy. That’s all it took. The decision.”

I was in awe. The words that just came out of this man’s mouth were things I had never heard before. “I can’t believe that was all it took. In all of the other stories I hear, the rehab part is the hardest, not the decision.”

            “They aren’t trying hard enough. If you make a true decision to change your life, it can be done as easy as it sounds. No matter what hindrance you may encounter, don’t let it take control of you and destroy a brighter future. In the end, the things that matter cannot be halted by mere recreational activities that have no positive effects.”

            I didn’t respond to him for a few minutes. I just sat and thought about what had just been said. Something so vast shrunk into a few words was something breathtaking for me. We didn’t discuss that topic again for the rest of the flight. He didn’t give me an autograph, a picture, his phone number; he gave me a life lesson that only someone who has first hand experiences can fully understand.