I’m on the 40th floor of a hotel that’s way too fancy for me. My room is bigger than my first apartment. A box next to the bed controls everything from the lights to the curtains to the music that seems to just appear out of thin air at the touch of a button.
Last night, I ate dinner in a restaurant that was way too fancy for me, and had the fanciest sidecar I’ve ever had. It had jalapeño in it.
I got to New York in one of the fanciest seats in the sky I’ve ever sat in. It could turn into a bed if I wanted, and it came with a TV.
In about an hour, someone is coming to my fancy hotel room to make me look fancier than I am, so I can go talk to the press about a new show — my new show — that the network is so excited about promoting, they put me in this fancy place to talk about it. If all this press works out, and enough people watch it, I may even get to do it for more than 12 episodes.
Tomorrow, I’ll go be fancy again, for pretty much all the press in the world, and then I get to go home to my wife and pets on Friday. I’ll spend the weekend with my family, in my house that I love, and I won’t have to do anything that I don’t want to do.
My new show, that I’ve been working on for over a year, premieres in less than two weeks, and even though we’ve been working on it for so long, it only began to feel real two days ago.
How did I even get this life? I will take none of this for granted. I will appreciate every good thing in my life, and keep working hard to earn those things. I am and will be grateful for everything in my life, even these things that feel too fancy and weird for me.
I keep expecting to wake up from all of this, which is probably why I can’t seem to sleep for more than 40 minutes at a time.
I feel like that every time I get sent out on business travel, except my baseline is much lower.
I am so excited and everyone I know has asked if I am ready for your show. You are really so inspiring, dealing with mental illness and putting together these amazing things.
Being grateful, that’s the thing to remember at all times. And not just during the times of plenty but also in times of need. This life is vapor and trying to hold on to the “things” of it is folly. Continued success to you and your family.
Hey Wil,
Is it weird that I feel proud for you? I don’t know you personally (seeing you walk past me at Ottawa ComicCon last year doesn’t count), and I’m younger than you are so there isn’t a paternal thing.
I think it stems from a common feeling of knowing how hard it is to accomplish something worthwhile and meaningful to oneself.
I tip my hat in your general direction good sir.
I believe you. And that’s a beautiful thing.
Dude – you are awesome. You deserve all the good things that are happening to you. Enjoy the fancy stuff, take it as it comes, and then gratefully return to your very cool regularly scheduled life.
Wow, I am feeling the same thing. Even though I have never met you or probably even been in the same zip code as you, I feel invested in your success. Don’t get me wrong, the work that went into that success was all you (and you elves). It is probably the same feeling I would get if one of my close friends got an award and I felt like my support aided just a microscopic bit.
Well, anyway…we are all proud of you.
Keep up the Geek Work!
Enjoy it.
Enjoy it Wil you Deserve it Pally your Best Friend Derek in Santa BarBara. P.S. Wil when you Get a chance Reply Back To me.
My father always told me that success is one of the hardest things to deal with and can bring different types of challenges then we are used to dealing with…but then he always chuckled and said “high-class problems, high-class problems…enjoy them!”
So, firstly, congratulations on all the great stuff that’s been coming together for you lately. I’m truly happy to see the upward arc your career has taken in the last few years.
I just had a thought, though, and wanted to ask a sort of oddball question: for the purposes of membership in a union such as SAG, which I gather is what provides most professional actors with health insurance, does serving as host for a television show such as the one you’re about to start airing “count” (since as I understand it, you must work a certain amount per year as an actor to retain access to such membership benefits)? I wonder, because, while you’re appearing on screen, you’re not, technically, “acting” are you – you’re being yourself on camera, sort of like you would be if you appeared on someone else’s show (such as The Tonight Show, or Late Night) to promote a film or show you’re in? I’m just curious how the actors’ union(s) treat such jobs.
Gratz! From what I’ve seen and read from you, you deserve it!
Enjoy!
I feel like that every time I visit my uncle.. I can’t get used to his live in maid and cook.. How I’m not supposed to take my own plate. Picking up after myself is so ingrained in me that I feel like I’m about to get grounded again not doing it! Haha!
Sounds like a good deal. Waking up I is a great start to any day the rest is a bonus.
Break a leg! If you get to feeling TOO fancy maybe you could sneak out for a bit and grab a hot dog from the nearest truck. Or send a runner to do that? Better yet, there’s a midtown restaurant called S’Mac that only serves macaroni&cheese presented in an individual iron skillet…
Well, Mr Wheaton. Congratulations and all that rot. I am so happy that you are planning to choose gratitude. 🙂
You’re awesome. You are awesome because you are such a “normal” guy, and so easy to relate to. Here is to much success!! Rooting for you! 🙂
What an amazing roller coaster of life from ‘Just a Geek’ to here. You seem to have the right mindset to be fully in the moment and enjoying both the success of the career and the success of home.
Based on your entry I’m prompted to link an appropriate Toad the Wet Sprocket tune: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReWKZD7naxg.
Wil: Sometimes good things really do come to good, patient people. You seem to be really appreciating things, and I am excited for you!
Rick
So excited!!!
Wil: the trailer video for the Wil Wheaton Project on syfy.com is hilarious! Looking forward to the show.
So proud of you! You deserve all of the good things that are coming your way!
Will, you are an awesome dude and I love how down to earth you are.
Wil, you and Anne are truly inspiring. I hope you will turn off your inner critic and know that you have created a joyous and successful reality for yourself. You have earned every good thing coming your way and you deserve to be happy. I don’t have cable so I am hoping your show becomes available for purchase on DVD! Continued success to you and those you love!
Just breezed here after viewing the commercial for your project. I have to say, I agree that I am not one for fancy things–I mean bling and gadgets are okay, but they don’t amount to much if you’re not happy….put on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, crack open a soda, sit back with the wife and pet and enjoy the day….
I am incredibly happy for you! Best of luck, man! We have your back!
I’m so excited! Can’t wait for the premiere!
You’ve earned it all!
For the lazy (like myself) here is a link to tivo so you can schedule a season pass.
https://www.tivo.com/tivo-tco/program/show.do?offerId=tivo:of.ctd.111008803.660.cable.2014-05-28-02-00-00.1860&contentId=tivo:ct.314263798&collectionId=tivo:cl.314266901
My 12 yr old son was reading over my shoulder as I was looking at your newest project and he asked “Who is Wil Wheaton?” I said “Wesley Crusher from Star Trek”. He looked at the picture and said “No it’s not Mom, that is the guy from Tabletop”