After all these years I still don't know when I've made the right decision or the wrong decision until some time has passed. Most recently I went ahead with one film which I will call Film A since it was a definite date right away and the dates for for another film, Film B, were sort of vague. I wasn't even sure if Film B was going to bring a kid or hire an adult actor who looks young. They could have hired a CA kid or the mother could have brought her own teacher. Then after I tell Film A "yes" and I'm supposed to start work this week, Film B called, and I had to turn it down. Since there was no one available in the union, I mentioned it to Ms. J. I was then cancelled by Film A for Tuesday so I agreed to come to the Film B and bring Ms. J. with me for them to meet. She went with me at no pay and more or less shadowed me for the day.
Supposedly I am to work for the Film A on Wed, but it was cancelled late on Tuesday, after Film B finally decided to hire Ms. J. I didn't hear from Film A for Thursday, just no call. Then today, Film A production called to say it didn't look like the kid would be in on Friday either; and they were vague about next week which is spring break. Originally I was to work this week in preproduction and school him, work next week and bank time since it is his spring break, school the next week, and go with them for three days on location. Now it's looking like I'll be lucky if I even get one week's work on Film A. Meanwhile, Film B will probably be here till April and provide several weeks if not a month of steady work after all. So Ms. J. will be on the show.
Now this is where the question arises. Did I make the right decision or the wrong decision? It's sort of like changing lanes on the freeway, taking a different route so it might be less congested or something as simple as changing lines at the grocery store. I change lines because there are three people in front of me and only one in the next line. However, the lady needs a price check on five items, her check needs approval, then she forgot something, she wants cigarettes, and they have to unpack a new box for her brand. Ten people have now finished in the orginal line, and I'm still in line behind the one lady. However, because I was in the store an extra 10 minutes when I leave the store, there has just been a wreck in the very lane I would have been driving in. So did I make the right decision or the wrong decision.
There are people who missed a flight, thinking it had totally messed up the trip, only to find out the plane they missed crashed. I get a divorce, but it's the worst decision ever. But then 30 years later, I realize I would have never made the progress I've made had I been married. I would have probably been as immature and spoiled as ever, very dependent and neurotic. However, did I mature because I was on my own or would I have matured anyway simply because I got older?
So I'm still not sure if I made the right decision about about Film B except I am so glad I'm not driving an hour to an hour and a half each way. I'm glad I'm not dealing with some of the scenes. Maybe I only work for Film A a week, and it is a big success or maybe there is no subsequent work with Film A and I only end up with a week of work.
Do I feel glad for Ms. J, in that she has lost so much of her retirement in the stock market and for a month has a steady job. I know we had a great time on the drive and being on set together. It was different being with another teacher to verify I have a tough job. I think it is hard for most women not to be jealous of siblings, relatives, women friends when something works out for others instead of them. However, so far, I have been glad Ms. J is doing the job rather than someone I didn't know. She definitely hit it off well with the mother, and I think she will be good with the child. Who knows maybe she'll find a new career.
You may file this under unread mail or you can respond with your own feelings about destiny. Is it good if you are forced to move on to another career? How does your own attitude affect the outcome and so on ad infinitum . . . .
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DAVID: I got a parking ticket on election day for having parked at a bus stop - except the nearest bus stop was over halfway down the block. So I took a picture with my iPhone and appealed the ticket. The appeal was turned down because there was nothing in the picture to indicate where the picture was taken. However, the iPhone saves GPS data - the exact latitude and longitude - with every photo you take, so I appealed again and included a screenshot of the GPS data. I just got a letter saying I won and they're going to refund the fine!
ReplyDeleteAlso, there is a Buddhist proverb to address your email. A poor farmer had one old horse that he used to plow his fields. One day the horse ran off into the hills. A neighbor said to the farmer, "Oh how terrible!" and the farmer's response was "Good, bad, who knows?"
The next day the horse returned with a herd of horses he'd met in the hills. The same neighbor was ecstatic and congratulated the farmer on his fortune, but the farmer just said, "Good, bad, who knows?"
The day after that the farmer's son broke his leg trying the tame one of the wild horses. The neighbor was very sad for the farmer, whose only reaction was "Good, bad, who knows?"
Then, the army came through, conscripting every able-bodied young man they could find, but when they saw the farmer's son and his broken leg, they passed him over. Good? Bad? Who knows?
And then there's this line from Hamlet: "There's nothing neither good nor bad, but thinking makes it so."
Now I'm not so certain how I feel about my ticket being overturned.... ;-) David