Growing up, I had the weird fantasy list: I wanted to be Alice

Opening Scene – Narrated by Host

The room was quiet, the evening light fading as the last of the day’s warmth drifted through the window. Jack sat at his desk, a cup of coffee in hand, but his gaze was far from the pages in front of him. His fingers gently tapped the edge of his mug, as though his mind was elsewhere, absorbed in something deeper. Outside, the city continued at its usual pace, but inside, the silence of the room seemed to invite reflection, like a thought was on the verge of emerging.

Jeeny sat nearby, a cup of tea in hand, glancing occasionally at Jack. She could sense the restlessness in the air, the weight of unspoken thoughts hanging between them. She waited, knowing that sometimes the right question or a simple nudge was all it took to spark a breakthrough.

Host: The room felt thick with unspoken reflections, as if the conversation was just waiting to unfold.

Jeeny: Her voice was soft, but filled with purpose, breaking the silence. “Jack, I came across a quote today that made me think of you. It’s from Rob Zombie. He said, ‘Growing up, I had the weird fantasy list: I wanted to be Alice Cooper, Steven Spielberg, and Stan Lee. You have to have almost psychotic drive, because you're going to have years of failure.’ What do you think about that?”

Jack: His eyes flickered up to meet hers, the weight of the words sinking in slowly. He leaned back in his chair, fingers resting lightly on the armrest as he thought about what she had said. “That’s an interesting perspective, isn’t it? The idea that success, especially in creative fields, doesn’t just come from talent or opportunity, but from an almost obsessive drive — the kind of drive that pushes you to keep going even when failure seems constant.”

He paused, his voice becoming more reflective. “Rob Zombie’s talking about having a vision, having these big dreams, but also understanding that failure is part of the process. You have to be almost psychotic in your commitment to those dreams, to not let setbacks or rejections stop you. The road to success, especially in creative industries, is rarely linear. There’s a lot of failure before you ever reach any success.”

Jeeny: She nodded slowly, her gaze steady. “Exactly. It’s about having the resilience to keep going, even when the world seems to tell you that you’re not going to make it. That kind of drive, the willingness to face failure over and over, is what separates those who succeed from those who give up. It’s almost like a test of how badly you really want it — if you can’t handle the years of failure, then the dream isn’t meant to be.”

Her voice softened, almost reassuring, as she continued, “But the key is that failure isn’t the end. It’s part of the journey. When you have that drive, you learn from the failure, you use it to fuel your next attempt. The ones who truly succeed are the ones who see failure not as an obstacle, but as a step forward.”

Jack: His expression grew more thoughtful, the weight of her words settling in. “Yeah, I think I’ve been guilty of thinking that success should just come — that if I’m working hard enough, it should be inevitable. But it’s the failures, the setbacks, that really teach us what we need to know. They show us what doesn’t work, what we need to change, what we need to keep pushing through.”

He smiled faintly, a quiet realization forming. “It’s funny. We think of success as the final destination, but maybe it’s the failures — the years of struggle — that build the foundation for real success. Without them, we’d have nothing to stand on.”

Jeeny: She smiled softly, her eyes filled with quiet pride. “Exactly. Success isn’t about avoiding failure, it’s about embracing it. It’s about understanding that the failures are just as important as the successes. They shape you, refine you, and prepare you for the bigger things ahead. What Zombie is talking about is the perseverance that comes from knowing failure is just another part of the process.”

Her voice grew more encouraging, almost like a gentle reminder. “It’s not the dream that defines you; it’s the drive to make it happen, even when the world seems to say no. The real measure of success is in the persistence to keep going, to keep learning, and to keep creating.”

Jack: He nodded slowly, a quiet sense of peace settling over him. “I see now. It’s not about having everything figured out or avoiding failure; it’s about sticking with it, even when the road gets tough. The key is to keep the dream alive, to keep pushing, no matter how many times we fail.”

He smiled slightly, the earlier tension lifting. “Maybe the true measure of success isn’t in the end result at all. It’s in the resilience, the commitment to keep going, even when it seems impossible.”

Jeeny: She smiled warmly, her voice full of quiet satisfaction. “Exactly. Success is built on the foundation of persistence, not perfection. It’s about learning from each failure, using it to get better, and never losing sight of the dream. It’s the drive that matters most.”

Host: The room felt lighter now, the earlier restlessness replaced by a sense of clarity. Jack seemed to have found peace in the understanding that the path to success is rarely straightforward. It’s not about avoiding failure, but about embracing it, learning from it, and continuing to pursue the dream with an unshakable drive. The world outside continued its rhythm, but inside, the realization had settled: success is not about never failing, but about the perseverance to keep going, no matter how many times you fall.

End Scene.