day job...

Having a day job in LA is a bit like wearing a scarlet letter. It lets everyone know that some how you have failed to make your “dreams come true.” Because really, who comes to LA to work a corporate Monday-Friday job? I didn’t but here I am. Anywhere else in the world I’d be thankful for my job and almost anywhere else in the world my wages would allow me to buy a house or condo, drive a new car and raise my family above poverty level but in LA, not so much. And a house, new car, etc is the American Dream, right?

As the scarlet “A” provoked shame in Hester Prynne, rushing to my day job provoked shame in me. Especially in my early thirties when all my friends became extremely successful (making millions doing what they love) within one year and those who didn’t “make it” married those who did. It was tough and even though my job was pretty cool; doing film restoration at MGM, working with music and film legends, I still felt like a failure. Plainly, I wasn’t good enough and my therapist at the time was no help.

I sometimes wonder if Joseph Campbell’s idea of “follow your bliss” often used by Oprah isn’t pointing us all in the wrong direction. It always feels as if one’s bliss needs to be big and important. It’s a lot of pressure to think you have to make a living following your bliss. First you need to find your bliss (no small matter) then you need to try and make a living from your “bliss”? And what if your bliss doesn’t make you money? What then? Is it still your bliss or was it ever truly your bliss?

Luckily, I got past all this and now find myself content and thankful for my job. I see it as a Crockpot where I stew my creative juices all day until they are percolating for the evening’s creation. I am “safe” at my job, I have health insurance, I know when my next paycheck is coming and its amount, I can take care of my son and not stress, which means more time to play, relax, create and have fun.

The idea of following one’s bliss, reminds me of a story I was told about Riley. Riley’s friend announced he wanted to be a math genius when he grew up. And Riley’s response, “I want to be a bus driver.”
“You don’t want to be a math genius?” his friend said surprised and perplexed.
“Someone has to drive the math geniuses to work!”

Bliss can be simple. We can’t all be kings.

It is not about following your bliss; it’s about being blissful in the moment doing whatever you are doing. I’m not going to let my dream of one day making a living as a writer (following my bliss) rob me of years of profound joy. A worker bee can be just as content as the Queen (if not more), if he allows himself to be (in the moment).