It’s Never to Late, Until it is.

Ladies and gentleman, it’s now time for our key note speaker. You know him from his sold out speaking tours, his multiple best selling books, the most popular of course being “You’re Horrible, But Is It Really Worth Changing” and I believe he may have a new project to announce this evening. Please join me in welcoming Mr. Richie Vaughn. 

The sold out audience erupted in applause. The angels on the ceiling of the Sanger Theatre’s baroque motif seemed to smile down with approval as Richie Vaughn strode on stage. With one hand raised above his head, waving to those in attendance Richie stepped easily onto the dais and stopped behind the podium. He paused for a moment to allow the crowd to quiet and settle. And then, he began: 

Thank you everyone, it is truly an honor and a privilege to be asked to speak in this historic theatre. And thank you to the Critter Connection, with out whom this night would not be possible. Well, why am I here? I am here tonight to reinforce my position of personal acceptance. Due to the modest success of my, “But is it really worth changing” book series. 

With this there was another uproar of applause. Richie just smiled and waited for them to settle down again. And with the expert timing of an experienced professional Richie was able to flow right back into the speech as though he and the crowd had rehearsed this night’s give and take of speech and applause. 

I do offer this up as a question. Are you really worth fixing? How well do you know your self? How confident are you that you’re self image is correct? Let’s say that it is. That you are fully self aware, that you know your mind’s irrational tendencies and flaws and that you have fully accepted them. Where does that leave you? Where does that leave me? 

Once we have achieved this probably impossible goal of self understanding, what do we do with that information? We itemize! As we learn about ourselves, with the Socratic “man know thyself” we become aware of our tendencies. We become aware of our habits. We may begin to compare and contrast ourselves with others with our parents or friends or coworkers. Do not fall into that trap. But with every new self realization, you should be asking yourself, is this characteristic a bug in my software or a feature. In other words, is it really worth fixing?

Theatus took Socrates’,”man know thyself” as a call for self perception. John Locke saw it as the act of being aware of the existence of facts. Charles Bukowski gave us simply, “find what you love, and allow it to kill you”. I know that this is bordering on the line of rambling, so allow me to be more direct. The goal of, You’re Horrible, But Is It Really Worth Changing was to become able to love your self even with your flaws. Then from the position of acceptance I believe that we should now begin to weed through those flaws one by one. Asking ourselves, if this flaw is something that I am capable of correcting or improving. Acceptance is an admirable start and is certainly no easy feat but its only the beginning. 

Over the last couple of years I’ve had to accept some hard truths about myself. I’ve given everything to my career. To writing, to traveling and to trying to help as many people as I could. Now, at fifty seven years old, I see that my children have grown up without a father. I see that my wife has carried the burden of a home without her husband. I realize now, that I’ve spent my life chasing the approval of greater audiences rather than uplifting my own family so that they may see how wonderful they are. I am horrible, and you’re damn right that it’s worth changing. None of us are perfect, and that’s ok. But don’t allow your self to be so ok with your imperfection that you over look unnecessary losses as a result.

It is with this in mind that I would like to announce my new docu-series, tentatively tiled, Healing, The Road to Redemption. We are currently shopping it around to the major streaming platforms, and will be updating everyone on the release date through my website RichieVaugn.com also on any of my social media accounts. Thank you all, and one last thing. I want to invite my family out to the stage, My wife Hailey and daughters Anna and Michelle. Thank you all very much, and thank you to Critter Connection, good night. Yet another thunderous applause from the audience as the event came to a close.

BANG!

We are in front of the historic Sanger Theatre in downtown New Orleans where just moments ago live gunshots were reported. We don’t yet know if there are any casualties, or if the suspect has been identified or arrested. Police and the fire department have blocked off access to the corner of North Rampart and Canal Street. We will continue to update you as the news develops. This is Bunny Mathews for WDSU channel six news. 

Richie Vaughn, fifty seven, resident of Lafayette, La died on May 7 2013 as a result of a gunshot from an armed assailant. He is survived by his wife Hailey and daughters Anna and Michelle. His parents Richard and Elizabeth Vaughn of Lafayette, La are both deceased. Richie and Hailey met during summer break while attending LSU at a Planet of the Drums concert in New Orleans, La. Richie was best known for his self improvement book series “You’re a Lush, But is it Really Worth Changing”, “Sure, You’re a Narcissist, But is it Really Worth Changing” and You’re Horrible, But is it Really Worth Changing”. He enjoyed collecting designer watches and was very happy to talk to you about the new watch he recently purchased. A celebration of his life will be held with a second line precession on May 11, 2013. Memorials can be made to Critter Connections.

Tonight on WDSU channel six news, Bunny Mathew’s will sit down with Anna Vaughn, the eldest daughter of Richie Vaughn who was tragically killed outside of the Sanger Theatre just two months ago. Anna, thank you for being here during this difficult time. I can’t begin to imagine what you and your family are going through. 

Thank you for having me Bunny, and I’d also like to thank everyone that has reached out to our family with support. Firstly, if I may, I’d like to clear up any rumors that this was a targeted attack. The man who shot my father had no idea who he was. According to his testimony he didn’t even mean to pull the trigger. It was an attempted robbery gone wrong. I’m not going to say his name, because I don’t want to give him any notoriety. But accident or not, this man took my father from this world and from me, just as my sister and I were beginning to know him. 

Anna, would you like to take a break, Bunny asked as he handed her a tissue to dry her eyes. No, thank you, its just, the wound is still fresh. I understand Ms. Vaughn. Anna, you’ve referenced that you and your sister were just getting to know your father. He’s been such a prominent figure in American society for so long that it almost feels as though we’ve all grown up with him. What was it like having Richie Vaughn as a father. 

I think I feel the same way you do Bunny. When dad was home, he was a warm man, kind to say the least. His attention couldn’t be expected for long though. He was on the phone a lot, or writing. You could almost hear the gears in his brain turning. Thinking of other people’s life experiences. Wondering obsessively over how some people end up in certain situations in life while others don’t. He was committed to the idea of building a step by step, one size fits all solution to all of life’s problems. I admire him for his goals and accomplishments. But to say that I was only just getting to know him. His dreams and vision occupied all of his time, and there wasn’t any left for his family. Michelle and I grew up with him much in the same way that you did. It was through his books or lectures that we came to know our father. 

One year ago, he returned home unexpectedly from a speaking tour. Michelle had just finished her freshman year at LSU and I went to see her and mom. Dad burst through the door with tears in his eyes. He was visibly shaken and was mumbling something about a cat in the cradle with a silver spoon. We were sitting in the kitchen when he walked in and said, Hailey, Anna, Michelle I am so sorry. To paraphrase, he regretted having missed out on us growing up and decided to commit to being present in our lives. He said that he had canceled the rest of his speaking tour and all other engagements for the next year. And that we were going on vacation. 

Michelle was off for the summer and mom didn’t work but I did. I was excited but wasn’t sure if I could get the time off from work. Don’t worry he said, he’d taken care of it. What he meant to say was that he called my boss who evidently was a fan of his, and told him that I was needed to help him with a tv show that he was working on. This put the brakes on everything, the kitchen fell silent. What tv show, wait a minute, did you just quit my job for me dad? Yes he said beaming with pride. That’s when he layed out his pitch for this docu-series. He said he wanted to reconnect with us and that he didn’t want the the distractions of day to day life. So, he hired a production firm and a film crew and rented an island where we were all going to live for the next six months and get to know each other. 

Bunny, with a perplexed look asked, you didn’t know anything about this until it happened? That’s right, said Anna, no one did. But that’s how dad rolled. 

How did you feel about uprooting your life and sharing this experience with a production crew around you. 

I was not thrilled at first Bunny, but dad was a very hard man to say no to. He wasn’t a forceful man but his enthusiasm was infectious. In retrospect I think its obvious that he missed the point of what it meant to be present in our lives. He was present, as in on the island, but this was not our life. This world he created of camera angles and lighting and hair and make up and production schedules was far from what I’d consider to be a vacation or a normal life. But we did finally get to see him in his element. 

Dad was amazing. This weird world of story telling and dead lines and managing various personalities, and just watching him go. It’s like he had limitless energy. This man, my father was in his natural habitat on this island with these people. There is no chance that he could have been a regular nine to five dad that came home every night. So yeah, i missed him as a child. But through this experience I got to see him for who he really was. A man doing the best he can for his family the only way he knows how.