I recently became unemployed. When I found out it was going to happen, I panicked. Thoughts of "how will I get by, what am I going to do now, I'm kind of hungry I wonder if there's any cheese left" all ran through my brain at a frightening pace.
Then something wonderful happened. A little switch in my brain moved from "panic" to "easy there fella." I calmed down and tried to look at the positive of the situation. Life in essence shook up my etch-a-sketch and handed it back to me. How many chances does one get to reset one's life and maybe take a different path?
One of the things I've picked up to fill my time (and the real focus of this post) is working crew for the Skagit Valley College production of "Into the Woods." For anyone who may not be "theatre savvy," many set pieces you might see during a show are run by a "fly" system. To simplify it, these different pieces are attached to ropes which line up offstage and need to be pulled in and out of different scenes at different times. This is my job for the show. I heave the mighty lines of rope and change the very world in which the production takes place.
Ok that might be over-dramatizing it, but it's an important piece of the theatre formula and one I had up until now had no experience with. Being an actor and taking center stage you sometimes forget the joy of real back pain that comes from a hard job done well. Taking a support role to help make other people shine is good for one's chi. I still feel the ache to walk out onstage because that's where my true passion lies, but I'm glad for this opportunity to play an important support role in the process, and it never would have happened if I had still been employed.
Sometimes I question the universe and its lack of sense (remember the pogo ball?) but for the time being, I'm ok with taking a couple side roads.
Well you're still making it, man, and that's what matters :) I'm about to hop on the in-the-real-world-and-unemployed train myself, and it is not a comforting ride. Ah well. Looking forward to seeing where this blog goes :)
ReplyDeleteIt's scary leading up to it, but I think the first 3 days after it happens may be the best. I don't know if it'll swing back down and be bad again, but so far I'm digging it.
ReplyDeleteHey Dave, I'd really like to subscribe to your blog but the design has made it somewhat difficult. Just sayin'
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