In A Variety of Places

Many years ago, in what seems practically like another lifetime, I interviewed for a job while I was working at One Life to Live. I remember being terrified that my then bosses would find out. I remember being excited about the possibility of being wanted by people who didn't already know me. And I remember the person who interviewed me saying that it was important for me to work (or to have worked--I forget) in a variety of places.
 
At the time, I was a little bewildered by this thought. Wasn't I lucky to have stayed at a place for an extended period of time and to have been promoted there? How was it, short of quitting that job, that I was supposed to have time to work in a variety of places?
 
I didn't get that job. I stayed where I was, and it wasn't until later that I worked in a variety of places, and began to understand what the woman had meant. For while each new place meant adjusting to new people and new expectations, each new place also gave me new ways to think about things. Not only was I able to think differently in each job, I suddenly saw how those different ways of thinking could inform every job I did going forward. I went from Cosby back to One Life to Live understanding how recording the footage from all cameras could save studio time and help in editing. I went from crime recreation reality editing back to other editing knowing how even the most generic image properly placed could tell a story. Editing non-profit promos has made me more aware of making the most of each second of video. While doing multiple jobs has been at least in part a financial necessity, I understand now what that woman all those years ago meant. The normalcy of one job may be nice, but what you learn doing many jobs can be pretty important--and helpful--too.
 
As I go back and forth between two gigs for these next few weeks, I look forward to seeing the differences--and similarities--and really understanding those words I heard in that other lifetime. I have a feeling that I, and the work I do, will be the better for it.