Journal Entry #6: My own adventure? Consider it chosen

 Friday, December 6^th, 2024. 8:51 AM.

Confidence in my career/choice of major: 70%

Song stuck in my head: Why Do You Let Me Stay Here? by She & Him

                Listen I know this "choose your own adventure" journal entry is really supposed to be about one of our days in class. But I'm sick and I want to talk about hospitality and event management. Because I considered studying that, but one of my friends picked that as her major and I didn't want to copy her. She's graduating next semester and will be a great wedding planner one day, I'm sure.

                On the first night that I attended load in for A Beautiful Noise, we stepped out of the Palace theatre and into the State Theatre's lobby, where they had set up "coffee" for all the workers. An array of snacks and drinks lined the bar. They offered us some, but I didn't feel like I had earned any food. Like, that wasn't for me, I didn't want to take snacks away from the people actually working hard. I graciously accepted a water.

                While we were out there, we met and spoke with a man who I believe was the hospitality manager. I do not know his title, and unfortunately I do not remember his name. I remember him being very nice, and that he works occasionally as a ski instructor. He told us a story about being the chauffeur for a pretty famous comedian while they were in town. It wasn't Jerry Seinfeld, but a comedian that occupies a spot in my cognitive schema that also holds Seinfeld. Same era, I think. Also a white man. Probably an S somewhere in the same. 

                Anyway, I found it very interesting, hearing about all the places he's had to go and odd job's he's had to do to keep the talent happy. It made me consider that as something I could do. I like making people happy, I like running around doing errands. I bet I would enjoy that job. Not sure if I would have to get a degree in hospitality or event management, though. I could always try to be a PA. Maybe I'd be good at that.

                Is this enough for a journal entry? I've felt like I've had to sneeze for the past two hours. I loooooooove being sick. I love love love it. Nothing I love more.

                I'd like to briefly talk about the tour of Playhouse Square that Tony took us on, early in the semester. Going up into the booth in the Palace Theatre made me feel like I was back in my high school's theatre department again, in a good way, which is weird to say, because pretty much everything about high school was bad. But when I was in the tech booth, or up in the spot booth, I felt like I had control. Like I was let in on the secret history of the theatre, the sacred knowledge of tech students of old. I felt like I was somewhere that had a history that I could learn from, and a future I could influence. It's weird, but being up there made me feel like that again. I didn't feel like the floundering fish out of water I usually feel like in the theatre department here. It was an odd phenomenon and I'm happy to record it.

                Also they have BATHROOMS in their tech booths??? HOW SWEET!!!! I would've KILLED for a bathroom in my tech booth in high school. All we had was this gross yellow rolling chair that we called the "sex chair" because some students supposedly had sex on it years ago and nobody had been brave enough to touch it sense so it just sat in the corner for literal years with a cardboard box of burnt out gels on it. I bet it's still there.

                The confidence-o-meter for this entry actually corresponds to how I felt after Maureen Burn's talk. I know, the timeline is all messed up. It's fine. It's all fine. Anyway, it was (relatively) high because of how long her journey to theatre was, and how fine she seems now. I worry that I'll never find the kind of job I want, but I have to remember that life doesn't begin and end with my career. I can find happiness anywhere, I can still work towards my goals even if it doesn't seem like I'm on the "right path." 

                There really is no right path, right? I just have to live my life the best I can. 

                ....And maybe ask my parents for money now and then. Hey, if my brother in medical school can ask for money, so can I!!!