One of the very lovely things about a year away from One Life to Live is
the friendships that I have developed with my former co-workers now
that we have to work at staying connected.
When I was traveling to West 66th Street every day, while I might spend hours
with my co-workers there, once I said "that's it everybody, thanks very
much," I eagerly went home to my family each night. I rarely spent
time with work people outside of work. What I am discovering now, as we
have all moved on with our lives, is that we still have a lot to talk
about, and it's not all One Life to Live. Producers have become
writers, writers have written new things, ADs have become actors,
casting directors have used their people skills to explore other
professions. I have delved into children's media and blogging. We have
all found parts of ourselves that we've had time to develop, and these
explorations make for very interesting coffees and lunches and dinners
when we are back together.
I wouldn't wish anyone--including myself--time being out of work, but on
this Valentine's Day, a day full of connecting and expressing
appreciation, I am grateful for the things and people I've gotten to
discover this year. To all who have opened themselves to new things
since last Valentine's, you have a lot to celebrate. Buy yourself a
candy heart, and let's have coffee sometime so I can hear about all your
new journeys.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
It's Ten O'Clock Again
Once again, I find myself writing at night. You would think that, with
buses and trains and time at home, I'd be more than done by now, but
despite the fact that I'd love to be done for the day, here I am, once
again at ten o'clock.
When I worked in a place that had an "Order of the Day," there were many hours during which it was perfectly clear what was supposed to happen when. Many days now, I may have the boundaries--dropping off a child, picking up a child--but the rest of everything just falls where it can. And most days, writing manages to escape those boundaries. Sometimes, writing at night gives me a whole day's worth of activities and observations upon which to draw. Sometimes, writing at night means writing half-asleep after I've worked a whole day or sat reading with a child. And sometimes, writing at night just means writing grumpy (as my family can tell you, the "Momster" begins to appear around 10). So if I still worked by an "Order of the Day," I would most definitely schedule blogging in earlier.
We all know how hard it is to carve out time for things, yet how many of us make "orders" or "lists" to ensure we make time for that time? I see many people I know raising their hands--I am friends with a remarkable number of organized people, including one who is a professional organizer and a bunch who could be. But, while at work, I happily organize information and keep others organized, at home, I am much more an "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" person, inclined to roll with what comes. Which probably makes for a more interesting blog--one that captures the ups and downs of 7am and 10pm. Because 7am and 10pm are not the same every day. And sometimes, that's just how life is.
When I worked in a place that had an "Order of the Day," there were many hours during which it was perfectly clear what was supposed to happen when. Many days now, I may have the boundaries--dropping off a child, picking up a child--but the rest of everything just falls where it can. And most days, writing manages to escape those boundaries. Sometimes, writing at night gives me a whole day's worth of activities and observations upon which to draw. Sometimes, writing at night means writing half-asleep after I've worked a whole day or sat reading with a child. And sometimes, writing at night just means writing grumpy (as my family can tell you, the "Momster" begins to appear around 10). So if I still worked by an "Order of the Day," I would most definitely schedule blogging in earlier.
We all know how hard it is to carve out time for things, yet how many of us make "orders" or "lists" to ensure we make time for that time? I see many people I know raising their hands--I am friends with a remarkable number of organized people, including one who is a professional organizer and a bunch who could be. But, while at work, I happily organize information and keep others organized, at home, I am much more an "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" person, inclined to roll with what comes. Which probably makes for a more interesting blog--one that captures the ups and downs of 7am and 10pm. Because 7am and 10pm are not the same every day. And sometimes, that's just how life is.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Euphoria in 7 Cameras
I thought it might matter that I hadn't done multi-camera AD work in a long time (most of my gigs this year have been on the
editing end). But a 3-day orchestra gig and 7 cameras later, it's as if
I never missed a beat (no pun intended).
What, you may ask, does this mean? It means I can look at pieces of paper with numbers and descriptions for every shot each of 7 cameras needs to get in an hour and a half show, and simultaneously look at tiny monitors and tell camera operators when they need to adjust their shots. Oh, and when they have a great shot that the director should see.
None of this has to make sense. The point is, after months of going down many, MANY avenues, trying to clarify what I do, and what I CAN do, today, I was reminded that, while I may do many things, and be able to do many things, there is a reason why the AD thing is something I am known for doing well.
Just a little euphoria in 7 cameras.
What, you may ask, does this mean? It means I can look at pieces of paper with numbers and descriptions for every shot each of 7 cameras needs to get in an hour and a half show, and simultaneously look at tiny monitors and tell camera operators when they need to adjust their shots. Oh, and when they have a great shot that the director should see.
None of this has to make sense. The point is, after months of going down many, MANY avenues, trying to clarify what I do, and what I CAN do, today, I was reminded that, while I may do many things, and be able to do many things, there is a reason why the AD thing is something I am known for doing well.
Just a little euphoria in 7 cameras.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Classic
Not two hours into Day 2 of my 2 1/2 day gig, my phone buzzed. And
buzzed again. And again. Until I turned off the buzz because I was in
the middle of watching an orchestra rehearsal. But I knew, with that
many buzzes, something was wrong. And when I was able to check, "Buzz
1" was from the school nurse--"Your child has a fever. She has to be
picked up." Thankfully, with the help of a good husband and a good
babysitter, everything worked out. But the fact that, after weeks of me
being home, this happened on my first day (in a long time) being on a
job--CLASSIC. My first day on Bayou Billionaires, I got a call that one
of my kids had thrown up at school. What are the odds? And how is it
that I worked for so many years and almost never had these issues with
my kids?
The "how is it?" question has an easy answer--Aggie. For a great many of the years when I was working, I had a fantastic nanny who managed things at home--including sick kids--so that, when I was at work, I was at work. It didn't mean I never worried about my kids, but it did mean I never had to worry that they weren't being taken care of. But alas, older kids and only part time work later, there is no full-time "extra me" to manage these situations, and that is an adjustment for all of us. So, while what happened today can't possibly happen every single time I start a freelance job, the fact that it did, and that people jumped in and made it work out makes me realize that we are all perfectly capable of making adjustments, and if there is one thing that I have tried to teach my family members, it is that. In life, there is the "how things should be" and the "how things are." And the people who succeed are the ones who adjust to the "how things are" rather than bemoaning the failure of "how things should be."
I don't quite know how tomorrow will play out--whether things will return to normal, or whether I will have a sick-at-home child on the final day of this gig. What I do know, though, is that we will all adjust and make it work. Because, I am proud to say, that is what we--all of us--have learned to do.
The "how is it?" question has an easy answer--Aggie. For a great many of the years when I was working, I had a fantastic nanny who managed things at home--including sick kids--so that, when I was at work, I was at work. It didn't mean I never worried about my kids, but it did mean I never had to worry that they weren't being taken care of. But alas, older kids and only part time work later, there is no full-time "extra me" to manage these situations, and that is an adjustment for all of us. So, while what happened today can't possibly happen every single time I start a freelance job, the fact that it did, and that people jumped in and made it work out makes me realize that we are all perfectly capable of making adjustments, and if there is one thing that I have tried to teach my family members, it is that. In life, there is the "how things should be" and the "how things are." And the people who succeed are the ones who adjust to the "how things are" rather than bemoaning the failure of "how things should be."
I don't quite know how tomorrow will play out--whether things will return to normal, or whether I will have a sick-at-home child on the final day of this gig. What I do know, though, is that we will all adjust and make it work. Because, I am proud to say, that is what we--all of us--have learned to do.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
New Opportunities
A few weeks ago, a friend connected me to a new job opportunity. A few
emails, and I am doing the job for the next few days. It is truly a
reminder of how much gets done outside of Indeed and Craigslist and even
LinkedIn.
Several of my jobs over the past year have been that way. Perhaps it is my industry, but a whole lot more seems to happen separate from interviews and lengthy online applications than with those formalities. There's a shorthand in personal contact that, I guess, just can't work in a more formal job search.
What's particularly interesting is how closely personal interactions work the same way. Why was I supposed to give a speech yesterday? Because being a drop off/pick up mom has put me in the path of people who need people (okay, this pun I couldn't resist) to make speeches. People know me, now as more than just a name on a list. Why have I become friends with parents of some of my children's friends? My children have already vetted them (well, at least their kids), and I (at least sometimes) trust my children's judgment. Plus, it's just easier to have friends who connect to the same places I need to take my kids. And easier is helpful.
It doesn't make me feel good about the hiring process to know that this is the way it works, but, in a lot of ways, it actually makes sense. Which means that the hours and days spent filling out all those online applications could probably have been better spent having coffees with potential contacts. Or keeping up constant email dialogues with every person I've ever met, even if they've moved to the woods and are now raising chickens.
Okay, this has gotten a little extreme, even for a diehard networker. For now, I will just thank goodness for the new connection (and make sure I do right by it), and keep doing whatever I can to keep connecting all the people I know. So that we all have new opportunities for new opportunities.
Several of my jobs over the past year have been that way. Perhaps it is my industry, but a whole lot more seems to happen separate from interviews and lengthy online applications than with those formalities. There's a shorthand in personal contact that, I guess, just can't work in a more formal job search.
What's particularly interesting is how closely personal interactions work the same way. Why was I supposed to give a speech yesterday? Because being a drop off/pick up mom has put me in the path of people who need people (okay, this pun I couldn't resist) to make speeches. People know me, now as more than just a name on a list. Why have I become friends with parents of some of my children's friends? My children have already vetted them (well, at least their kids), and I (at least sometimes) trust my children's judgment. Plus, it's just easier to have friends who connect to the same places I need to take my kids. And easier is helpful.
It doesn't make me feel good about the hiring process to know that this is the way it works, but, in a lot of ways, it actually makes sense. Which means that the hours and days spent filling out all those online applications could probably have been better spent having coffees with potential contacts. Or keeping up constant email dialogues with every person I've ever met, even if they've moved to the woods and are now raising chickens.
Okay, this has gotten a little extreme, even for a diehard networker. For now, I will just thank goodness for the new connection (and make sure I do right by it), and keep doing whatever I can to keep connecting all the people I know. So that we all have new opportunities for new opportunities.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
The Big Speech
If you read earlier in the week, you may be expecting me to talk about
the speech I made this morning. But alas, the event where I was to give
the speech was cancelled due to the weather, so what was to be a
nervous excitement kind of a day turned into a fairly normal Saturday,
full of errands, cleaning, and homework.
You might think (as I did), "oh, good, don't need to be nervous." We did have a good day without my speech. I think, though, that we often forget how useful a little nervous excitement can be. We've all felt it--when we started a new job or had to make a presentation or go on an interview. And if we didn't let it paralyze us, didn't the nervous excitement make us stand a little straighter, think a little faster, rise to the occasion? And if we fought through it, weren't we treated to a degree of euphoria that wouldn't have existed if we were just going through a normal day?
Perhaps I will have another opportunity to give the speech (though it will likely need revision, since it was based on a Torah reading that changes every week). And I'm sure that before that, I will have other reasons for nervous excitement, which is good. There's nothing wrong with normal, but a little rising to the occasion can't help making us grow. And though I don't need to be taller, OR older, I'll take a little healthy growth on a Saturday. Or on any day of the week.
You might think (as I did), "oh, good, don't need to be nervous." We did have a good day without my speech. I think, though, that we often forget how useful a little nervous excitement can be. We've all felt it--when we started a new job or had to make a presentation or go on an interview. And if we didn't let it paralyze us, didn't the nervous excitement make us stand a little straighter, think a little faster, rise to the occasion? And if we fought through it, weren't we treated to a degree of euphoria that wouldn't have existed if we were just going through a normal day?
Perhaps I will have another opportunity to give the speech (though it will likely need revision, since it was based on a Torah reading that changes every week). And I'm sure that before that, I will have other reasons for nervous excitement, which is good. There's nothing wrong with normal, but a little rising to the occasion can't help making us grow. And though I don't need to be taller, OR older, I'll take a little healthy growth on a Saturday. Or on any day of the week.
Friday, February 8, 2013
The Joy of Parenting
Having children makes you do all sorts of things you don't want to do.
I mean, let's face it, does anyone like changing diapers or cleaning up
spitup? Or adding the cost of a babysitter to any night out?
But every so often, having children also lets you do things you might not otherwise be able to do. I ate many a piece of birthday cake at the numerous parties my kids attended when they were little. I visited places like Dylan's Candy Bar for the first time because one of my children was invited there, and I got to see the video Elmopalooza because I have children. And tonight, I got to go to Friday night services because my almost 15 year old was bound and determined to do it. Not eager to fight to convince her younger siblings, I had given up the idea. It was snowing. We were inside and warm. And it would be a hard sell, particularly to my 8 year old. But she wanted it--children often want things, as I've learned over fifteen years of parenting--and before I knew it, she'd brainwashed her brother and convinced her sister, and we all set out, snow boots and all, to be a part of the festive Shabbat service.
I'm sure that tomorrow, I will do have to do something--or twenty somethings--I don't really want to, because of the kids. But today, I got to do something enjoyable and worthwhile because one of my children fought for it. These kids can be a pretty useful thing. I guess I'll keep them.
But every so often, having children also lets you do things you might not otherwise be able to do. I ate many a piece of birthday cake at the numerous parties my kids attended when they were little. I visited places like Dylan's Candy Bar for the first time because one of my children was invited there, and I got to see the video Elmopalooza because I have children. And tonight, I got to go to Friday night services because my almost 15 year old was bound and determined to do it. Not eager to fight to convince her younger siblings, I had given up the idea. It was snowing. We were inside and warm. And it would be a hard sell, particularly to my 8 year old. But she wanted it--children often want things, as I've learned over fifteen years of parenting--and before I knew it, she'd brainwashed her brother and convinced her sister, and we all set out, snow boots and all, to be a part of the festive Shabbat service.
I'm sure that tomorrow, I will do have to do something--or twenty somethings--I don't really want to, because of the kids. But today, I got to do something enjoyable and worthwhile because one of my children fought for it. These kids can be a pretty useful thing. I guess I'll keep them.
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