Monday, September 16th, 2019 is a day I’ll always remember. It’s the day I got up early enough that Starbucks had no line (5 am), the time I met Willem Dafoe, and the morning I got a phone call on the way to our shoot that my grandfather had died. This is sad for many reasons, but mostly because he’s the only person I’m related to who reads my stuff. But, don’t get sappy, because this isn’t a sad story. This is a piece about hope, courage, honor, and Willem Dafoe (stick with me, I promise it all ties together in the end).