Friday morning was just a scorcher here in Phoenix. I arrived at my office and proceeded to open my email and read a few news headlines. As I read thoriguh a few headlines, I came upon a story that, I thought, was the saddest thing I had ever heard….or not. You decide.

****************

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – When the elevator in their home got stuck between floors, Sherwood and Caroline Wadsworth found themselves trapped with no way to call for help as temperatures rose into the 90s. They finally died from heat exhaustion in the closet-sized lift.

Autopsies on the elderly couple — he was 90, she was 89 — on Thursday pointed to a tragic end to lives they shared for more than 60 years. Police estimated they had been dead at least four days before a newspaper carrier called 911 out of concern that papers had piled up by their garage.

Investigators were trying to determine what turned an elevator into a death trap inside the Wadsworths’ three-story home overlooking Georgia’s coastal marshes. Stunned family members, meanwhile, looked for a shred of solace.

“We always said we hoped they would go together because if one went, the other wouldn’t survive long,” said the couple’s son, Wesley Wadsworth of Blue Bell, Pa. “They were so dependent on each other.”

The newspaper carrier called police Wednesday after noticing the unopened editions going back to July 9, as well as an untouched watermelon a neighbor had left at the couple’s door the day before.

Police had to break into the house because the doors were locked and bolted. Inside they found no one but the Wadsworths’ cat. Then they noticed the elevator — accessed by what looked like closet doors with up-and-down arrow buttons in the walls. Once the shaft was open, they found the elevator stuck between the home’s second and third floor.

Police discovered the Wadsworths’ bodies lying in a fetal position, facing each other, Glynn County coroner Jimmy Durden said Thursday. Autopsies concluded both died from heat exhaustion. Durden estimated temperatures in the elevator reached 95 degrees.

There was no phone in the elevator, leaving the couple unable to call for help, said Glynn County Police Chief Matt Doering.

“It’s just tragic,” Doering said. “We all know one day we’re going to die. This is one of those horrible ones where you’re stuck somewhere.”

Though they were from Pennsylvania, the Wadsworths had been vacationing on the Georgia coast most of their lives. They’d met while attending Ursinus College in the 1940s, not long before Sherwood Wadsworth went overseas to fight in World War II as a bomber pilot.

Caroline Wadsworth was the daughter of prosperous car dealer. When her husband returned from the war, their son said, he started two dealerships of his own in the Philadelphia area before retiring to the Georgia coast in the early 1980s.

They stayed as active as their health would allow. Until he needed a cane, Sherwood would walk three miles on the beach every day. Twice a week, they’d head to a resort on neighboring Sea Island for cocktails and dancing to big band music.

“My father-in-law dressed in a dinner jacket or tux, and my mother-in-law always wore a long dress — dressed to the nines,” said Maureen Wadsworth, their son’s wife. “They were great people, fun people.”

As the years passed and age took hold, the couple went out less often. But they maintained their independence and took care of each other.

Sherwood, known as Waddy to his friends, would get up every morning to fetch the newspaper and make breakfast for his wife. He’d send it up to her in the elevator so she could eat in bed and work on the crossword puzzle, his son said.

Likewise, whenever the couple ventured out, Caroline would wrap an arm around her husband’s for extra support as he walked with his cane.

“My mother-in-law’s arm was always slipped in his,” Maureen Wadsworth said. “They always walked hand-in-hand.”

**************

There are two distinct aspects that must be discussed. First, clearly I felt such hearache as I read this account. My heart went out to them and their loved ones.

Honoring their memory and lives, we cannot dismiss such an incredible example of true love. As writers, we know that there are some things that just cannot be written such as this unique situation. Perhaps most people might dismiss this as just too simple a plot, too common a situation that cannot stand on it’s own merits to carry a lengthy story…or can it?

Writing about love can only be done by looking inward and seeing what elements exist within us. Perhaps, it’s just a story but if you study what exactly made this man and woman have so much love for each other, you will see a perfect road map to construct a timeless and classic love story. It is my theory that a love story lives or dies on the intricate details it contains just as a real life relationship.

Do what you love!

Fernando

Romance and romantic comedies in any light are affairs of the heart. So many great films have portrayed that great and elusive thing called “true love.”

Looking around my film library I found that I have quite a bit for those “sappy, the boy gets the girl, happily ever-after story” films.

I could not believe it at first. It is not everyday that a man admits that he has a very soft side…certainly not when he’s hanging with the guys. But since no one is looking, what the heck!
Read more

One of man’s biggest obstacle is fear. I have always been fascinated by this human emotion, perhaps because I, like others, have certain fears to overcome. It is so powerful that, even though we do not realize it, some estimate that as much as 90%r of the fear that we feel on a daily basis is self imagined or imaginary. Could this be true?
As I was putting these clips together, I was reminded what a powerful medium film can be and how it can evoke certain feelings and emotions from it’s audience. Fear immobilizes us, it translates us into someone we would other wise never be. The strength dissipates, the light faded, the night becomes darker, the watery deep becomes deeper. We tend to breath heavier and faster, we walk faster, our heart tries to keep up. The lightning brighter and closer, the shadows darker and larger… could it be true, or is it merely a reflection of what is inside each of us, a projection of a fear that we have inside. Could it be just an illusion, something that is created by us as quickly as it is can be destroyed by us?
Ponder on this and next time that fear overcomes you, ask yourself…”is this real or imagined?”

Fernando

A few years back, I had the opportunity to be a part of a project that taught me some very valuable lessons and gave an insight into my own strengths and fears as a film “field general.”

Part of my early youth was spent in New York, the Bronx and lower Westchester county, to be more exact. And although there could have been some very scary and precautions situations placed before me, I never really was aware of them. Perhaps I was immune to a point. Early on, I was drawn to situations and positions that required a significant amount of poise and self confidence, I do not know why. In high school I was not drawn to play insignificant sports such as table tennis or golf. I wanted to play football, and not just any position, I wanted to play quarterback. What drove this desire in me to be exposed to all the good and the “terrible” backlash that comes with this? I do not know…I was not even aware of it.
In college, I continued on the same objective. I spent my first summer at BYU working out and doing field practice with football great such as Read more

One of the most powerful of all human emotions is to love. Perhaps the single most important lesson that we as humans can learn. From the day we come into this world until the day we die, we have only one single need and want: to love and be loved.

So how do you deal with the lack of love in your life? How do you deal with the fact that many are alone, many seek and do not find? Does it mean that there is a lack of love in the world?

As I ponder this powerful human delinma, I reflect on the past, present, and imagine the future…in my own life. Even when we find ourselves part of a nucleus, part of a family, part of a marriage…some do not feel loved. And as I studied deeper, I realized something key that is missed, something that is taken for granted, something that we forget. We forget to acknowledge another, forget to admit that that person exists, that she/he is at least important, that she/he matters, that ahe/he exists. We forget to validate that person.

Ever wonder what it could be like to live in a deserted island? How it would be that no one knows your name, no one calls your name, no one sees that you exist, that you matter, that you are here for an important mission, that you were born to conquer the world. Sadly, many live in that deserted island where no one takes the time to see you as you really are… to say the simple yet powerful words “you are great person, you are amazing!”

Once upon a time we were the most important person in the world to someone, the day we were born. Be that person for someone today. Validate them for the amazing person that they are, you’ll thank me later.

I think I can say that very few things surprise me these days. I pride myself in being fairly astute…even throw around the fact I grew up in the mean streets of New York but I have recently been floored, surprised, and even amazed.

This last week I had the opportunity to play “fly-on-the-wall” for the annual American Legion Boys State conference in Flagstaff, Arizona, and man what an incredible event and group of people.

At first I could not quite put my finger on what the event was about. Was it about teaching young men about how to be better citizens? Read more

One of the beautiful aspects of life is that it is never boring. One day the sun might be shinning and pouring rain the next. In a way, this is a metaphor for what we at times feel in our lives. Change is the only constant in life and once we understand that we gain a new perspective and perhaps even renewed strength to keep keeping on.
In my never ending quest for beauty, today I can across this incredible video that gave me chills as I listened to it. Few artist can evoke this sensation in me and I felt strongly enough about it that I had to write a few words about it and share it. So, if you’re having a rainy day, week, month or just need a little “kick in the rear” – listen to this guy but make sure you turn up your speakers and maybe even close your eyes.
I leave you with this great quote:
“When you are at the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

Kevin is one talented dude. His concept wedding films simply have to be seen to be believed. He has fused event filming and movie making into something so unique that nobody else on the planet is doing what he is doing.

“City of Lakes” is even more unique than his previous works as it actually includes the event in it, unlike other shorts that he has made.
The most impressive part of this was the incredible picture that comes out of the camera.

This is perhaps one of the films that convinces me to really look at this camera as a viable alternative to the traditional video systems but it was my good buddy Chris Daugherty of Chris Wade Media that suggested it for it relatively low price. In the coming weeks I will be posting a series of test of my own using the Canon 5D Mark II on my first documentary for the Arizona Boys State week long workshops in Flagstaff. Looking forward to your comments,

Fernando

“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” — Dale Carnegie

This is my first thoughts on this very heavy subject. I can think back as long as I remember the many and constant thoughts of fear that occupied my mind as a youngster. I didn’t realize it then but now I understand what was happening. Read more

Ever wonder what makes a love story?

Perhaps you have thought about this once or three hundred times. After some serious meditaion, not to mention many hours sitting in front of the tube watching romantic comedies with my girls,which in my opinion come close but only toy with the true “love story” genre, I’ve come to one main conclusion: it has to have an element of impossibility.

If you think back on this you’ll agree that the stories that really work are the ones that have this common element in them. The Beauty and the Beast, West Side Story’s Tony and Maria, John Book and Rachel in Witness are just a few examples where love was the only perfect element and nothing else was given importance.
I think this really has a great lesson for all of us. Life often has many turns, some ups and some downs, for some mostly downs, but if you look back on your life and think on all the happy memories, you’ll see that the main strain or element that runs through them all was some element of impossible love. It is this feeling that awakens our spirits and creates memories that last forever. It is this impossible love that makes us reflect on who we are and what we have become. In essence it shapes us and creates a different you, hoepfully a better you because of it.

When developing a story, when thinking on your life… reflect on what experience you have had and infuse that honesty into it. You’ll find a great love story within, we’ve all had them.

Fernando Escobar