Greenlights

I've been crushing on this man for the last fifteen years.

So you best believe I pre-ordered this book immediately.

Matthew McConaughey has been keeping journals, diaries, and random writings for the past 35 years. Greenlights is all of those writings in one perfect little book. We get to hear about his childhood, his rise to fame, his Hollywood hiatus, his wife and kids, and so much more.

 

I have to say, the first 25% of the book was not the spark I was looking expecting from Matthew McConaughey. I expected to hear crazy sibling antics, stories of growing up in Texas, more about his family. It almost felt like this portion was glossed over. He mentions his brothers and parents, who all appear in more stories down the road. It almost felt like there was a disconnect between who he was as a child and teen, as to who he is now as a fifty year old husband and father of three.

As we approach his rise to fame, we do get stories that are a little crazier.

I mean, who would have thought that Matthew McConaughey had big dreams of becoming a lawyer. But instead found his calling in film school. Many of his early roles embodied the typical attractive party boy. He starred in several of my all time favorite rom-coms (I'm looking at you, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days). But I didn't know that his breakthrough role in Dazed and Confused is the character who gave him the iconic line, "Alright, alright, alright," which was actually improvised by McConaughey himself AND were his first words ever spoken on film.

I never knew he traveled the open road with his pup, Ms. Hud.

I never knew he regularly took backpacking trips all over the world.

I never knew the story of how he met his wife, Camilla.

I never knew any of this, but I'm grateful I do now.