#GoodnightOneTreeHill

This blog will be a little different. I have said that this will be a place that I shall share my thoughts on films and although this shall not comply I feel that it is important and has come at an appropriate time.

I shall not claim I fell in love with film watching Citizen Kane, nor my first memory placed in a cinema, Speilberg's finest bouncing shadows off of my face. I cannot say for certain that I was ultimately spurred by Scorsaese nor first caputred by Kubrick. However what I can speak, hand on heart, is that a flicker of this fire was ignited by a story told by the little show that could.

My first memory of One Tree Hill is browsing the shelves of a film shop, aged 9, armed with a paper square (marked with the then-to-me somewhat disconnected words; one, tree and hill), the explained and ingrained mental image of an orange box with two boys and three girls and my sisters voice in my head "make sure you get season one. The first season. The complete season one!" My finger trails the various boxes on the shelf until I get to 'O', pull out this orange box and for the first time I come face to face with five characters from whom one day I would learn so much. 

With some disregard for what then to me seemed like 'just another TV show' I handed the DVD to my mother, pleased that I had sorted out my sister's birthday present and totally unaware of the effect that 'just another TV show' would have on me some day in the far future. 

It wasn't until several years down the line I started watching One Tree Hill for myself and it wasn't for a few further years when looking at the series one box-set that I made the connection between what was now my favourite show to my experience in the film shop, aged 9. 

It is strange how insignificant moments as these are extracted from the whirlpool of memories and forgotten yesterdays that swim at the back of our brain, to the forefront of our consciousness hence making them totally significant. It is quite amazing! And so I wanted to share with you the little show that became a flicker of the flame that is my desire to tell stories. 

Although One Tree Hill has not been the highest rated or reviewed show, and still may be off the radar of a wide scale audience, even after being shown for nine years, it has proven time and time again to be of a vital importance to the loyal supporters that have come back each week to be enthralled, inspired and moved by a story of heart. For me it was not about the reality of these situations, it was about heart. And heart is what the show embodies. Heart is what clung to an audience; what had people coming back for more. A story. A gentle voice that through the brash noises of a cheap, commercial and outrageously explicit environment, simply and calmly let it's little voice be heard. 

I cannot pinpoint an exact pivotal moment or assume it happened gradually over a space of time but somehow I became enthralled and entwined in these stories. Held in moments, felt and hoped, for and with characters. And over some point during this time I asked how this could be? How could this work of fiction affect me so much, reduce me to tears, make me laugh, make me smile. And at that moment, whenever it was, I realised what I wanted to do; tell stories. 

One of the many lessons learned from 9 years of One Tree Hill is about success. How it is not the sweet chink of money falling into your bank account, nor the fame or fortune that rolls in waves of public recognition. Success is not found by making 10 right decisions and learning nothing. Success is making 20 wrong ones and learning everything.

This is success.

A success from which this little show is coming from and where I hope I am going.

Mark Schwahn- you are a genius! I thank you and everyone from the bottom of my heart for this voice, and for making One Tree Hill what it is. If one day I tell a story that touches one person like your show reached me. If it motivates someone. Inspires someone. I shall regard that a great success.