Mrs. Todd

A friend of mine once told me about “Mrs. Todd’s Shortcut,” a short story by Stephen King that’s even older than I am. It’s about this lady who lives in Maine and is obsessed with finding shortcuts and getting to places by travelling a smaller distance than the “official” way. Every time she sets to explore a new road, she resets the odometer in her car and challenges herself to a shorter trip.

People in Mrs. Todd’s life are worried that she’s going to run out of shortcuts and lose her purpose… it’s just Maine, after all, there are only so many roads! But Mrs. Todd never gives up, and she eventually finds a new, wonderful world.

I’ve been thinking about Mrs. Todd because the last couple weeks have been challenging for the production of “Homecoming.” As producers, we are often tasked with putting out fires, and finding solutions to any problem that may arise. And they WILL arise. Sometimes, it all seems too much.

It can be discouraging when things don’t work out, but even when the solution just doesn’t seem to exist, it’s imperative to keep searching. Had Mrs. Todd believed her map, she never would have found her way.

*****

Even with some hiccups, the footage we shot so far looks amazing. It’s important to sit down and watch the tangible, rewarding products of the work done to keep ourselves motivated and crisp.

Maine’s winter is brutal, and unforeseen circumstances have resulted in extra shooting days, but that is par for the course for everyone who has taken this journey.

Unlike Mrs. Todd’s, my path may not be the shortest or fastest, but I have all intentions of getting to the finish line.