My career as a dancer was a most significant chapter in my life…probably more like a book, a bunch of sequels and an addendum*. And per my tag line – ‘rants, raves & recollections as I entertain my next chapter’ – I literally entertained throughout those years of my life. Naturally I was aware that there would be a point in time when I would be old, older, maturer, WORN-OUT. So next up were a number of spinoffs, or subsections if you will, where I had a go at teaching, choreographing and helping to establish a brand-spanking-new dance company.
Then I auditioned interviewed at a law firm. Me. A law firm? Yup. At my initial audition interview, for the position of legal library assistant, I offered this little pleasantry of a statement, “I don’t know what you people do here…”. And apparently that was just what they wanted to hear! I ruled that roost for sixteen years, three months and two weeks.
Although previous jobs had included appearing as a dancing/rapping box of restaurant supply cleaning solutions, as well as a human cockfight participant wearing a giant headdress and loads of feathers…this ‘library assistant whatsit’ was THE the most unusual job I had ever had.
I mean come on now! A daily work schedule, in an office, at a desk, filing, scanning and wearing normal people clothes!!??! OY. Strutting my office skills looked more like the stapling of resume to headshot.
Putting my acting skills to good use I dug deep to flesh out this legal library assistants’ role by exploring the intentions, actions and obstacles. The moment before and back story came naturally. “Who am I?” – easy, I’m Karen. “Where am I?” – in a library, in a law firm, on the 44th floor. “Where am I going?”– to my office, in the library, in the law firm, on the 44th floor. Done. Motivation? TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE FRICK I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DOING! All I really knew was that my character would not be breaking into song and dance…but what was lost to the past would give way to new skills. I would soon learn to minimize. And to copy and paste. And become familiar with a whole bunch of legal gobbledygook. Look at me go…
Our lives are full of ‘next’ and ‘subsequently’ and ‘later on’. And whether you refer to these as ‘passages’ occurring naturally, ‘chapters’ written by choice, or ‘episodes’ out of necessity – they can be surprising, uncomfortable or exceedingly challenging. It can be scary to rethink and readjust and grasp new concepts. But next chapters allow us to evolve, transform, rediscover and perhaps learn a whole new set of wonderful whatchamacallits. And that’s really, really good for our ripening brains. And isn’t that great!
* I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the most significant chapter(s) involving my children; birthed and raised. But I probably need to wait for my NDA to expire.
Oh, I applied for a job at a law firm, too! I don’t know that I made the best impression, though, as I was wearing a boot the the time: the dogs had made me trip down the last step and made me break my foot! But after the U of I, I worked at Amoco downtown for over ten years, in the IS (computer) department. Yeah, me, a painting major. But I liked it, and I was good at it, too. We all have hidden talents and capabilities we might not be aware of until we give it a… Read more »
That law firm didn’t know a good thing when they saw it!
As always, much love! 💕
Back atcha!! ❤