I just finished reading Matthew Perry's autobiography. You may know him as Chandler, from the cast of Friends. I was initially excited to read the book, as a long time fan of the show (I've seen every episode at least 3 times). But when I found out that the book was going to be more about his struggle with addiction than about the show and the other cast members, I had decided not to buy it. Then I got it as a birthday gift from one of my sons. So I read it.

It's very good, though if I were going to review it I would say that it's a little confusing the way he writes it, which is not necessarily in linear or chronological sequence. But it was a page-turner, and I found out things I never knew, like Matthew Perry dated Julia Roberts (and he broke up with her, in a totally Chandler move of being paranoid about not being good enough for her and thinking it was only a matter of time before she broke up with him). Anyway, I thought I would share one line from the book that kind of summarizes it all. It won't come as a surprise to you all, but here it is (somewhat paraphrased):

Sometimes it takes having all your dreams come true to realize that you had all the wrong dreams.

There's some great stuff in the book about Perry's relationship with God - and he does have one, though it's not what we would call mature - but good for him for not blaming God for his troubles or walking away from God out of anger (he had the anger, he just didn't walk away from God). If you're like me, and you feel like you know these characters, you might be interested in the book. But it's definitely his Confessions and he pulls no punches. So it's not a light read, but I think, and I hope, it will provide inspiration for other people who struggle with addiction. I don't know, but maybe. When I finished reading it, I found myself praying for him - for this guy I thought I knew, but of course all I knew was his character that he played on TV for 10 years. As it turns out, though, if you know Chandler, you do kind of know Matthew Perry. I guess the real Matthew Perry is the three dimensional version of Chandler, with that added dimension of suffering that you never saw on the show. But it was there in the subtext. It was always there in Chandler's insecurity, and the way he covers all discomfort with jokes and sarcasm.

I guess the lesson learned - and hopefully most people don't have to suffer this much to learn the lesson - is not to default to the kinds of dreams (read: goals, ambitions) that the world, the media, hollywood, celebrity culture, etc. tell you that you should have. On a related note, many of us are just now hearing - in the wake of hollywood scandals and conversations around the film The Sound of Freedom - just how corrupt hollywood is, and how corrupting it is. But that's a conversation for another day...