"We are training artists here. If we do that right, you won't need ordinary jobs to support yourselves."

WTF? Was this man never an actual artist? One of the reasons that I abandoned my dreams of acting was that I found out that fewer than one percent of the actors in SAG made enough money to support themselves. Also, I saw a documentary on Bravo where this woman talked about her career, and she said "I've been waiting tables for 17 years, but if I ever have to fill out a form that asks for my occupation, I write 'actress.' " That really spoke to me. I knew that I was not confident enough in my talent to BELIEVE that I was an actress in the face of not getting work.

Cindy, a while back I came across an abandoned adding machine with receipt at work and I was SO EXCITED but it turned to not actually print. It was a sad day when I understood that no amount of tinkering on my part would fix it.

I never properly learned to type, so I can touch-type pretty well, but my technique is TERRIBLE.

My mother, on the other hand, refused to learn to type because she was NOT going to be a secretary, and it all worked out, since she never did become a secretary, except she still can't touch-type.

All those classes sound awesome to me. I did take typing in HS, because I had to fill up a time slot and it was all I could got. Typing and in the off semester “business machines” which I ended up dropping so I don’t know what it covered. What I do know is that both of those were considered basically a waste of a class by most of my (informal) academic track peers but I’ve been incredibly glad for the skill.

I have to vent about myself and my inability to not lose things.

I had my bank card in the pocket of the dress I wore yesterday. As I was preparing to leave the house, I retrieved it, with my headphones. I put on my jacket. I put on my mask, I put on my backpack, then I checked for the bank card. No bank card. Not near the headphones, not in any pockets. I have not moved, except for the motions of putting stuff on. It is not in the backpack. What I do find nearby on the dresser NEAR where the mask was was my OLD BANK CARD which I lost in March, hence the NEW BANK CARD. I can’t even with myself. Luckily, I actually have a backup bank account and card for when this happens because it happens so often, but I am getting tired of it.

There was a partner at the Big 4 accounting firm I worked at who told me that for most of her career, all the way until she made partner, she never let anyone see her type. She was a speed demon, but she knew as a woman in a male dominated industry she would immediately get categorized as note taker rather than active participant in every meeting.

I was just trying to think why I never took typing, because a lot of my friends definitely did, and it's because I always took voice classes as my elective. I would take whatever she was teaching in the time slot I had free.

There was a partner at the Big 4 accounting firm I worked at who told me that for most of her career, all the way until she made partner, she never let anyone see her type. She was a speed demon, but she knew as a woman in a male dominated industry she would immediately get categorized as note taker rather than active participant in every meeting.

I knew a woman who was a programmer who refused to change the toner on the printer for the same reason.

1. Honestly, I think the reason I hung on to my theatre job so long is that I wanted to write Costume Designer and not secretary as my occupation, and what enabled me to leave was being able to write Insttuctional Designer

2. On the other hand that it problematic, because good secretarying and AAing is really hard and should be valued more and probably pay and be recognized more.

3. It used to drive me crazy when people refused to learn something for that reason (nurses with the fax machine, for example.)

4. But for awhile after I got my new job, I refused to be the one setting up group meetings, getting the room and taking notes, because I thought I would get stuck.

5. I still have a lot of guilt because I think I did a much better job and had more responsibility/power and authority as an AA. Being the assistant of a woman I was so on the same wavelength with was amazing for me, and since she had power and trusted me, it was easier to get things done.

6. I think I took on a costuming job for the summer. I think I already regret it. A friend of a friend was advertising, but it is Shaw and unpaid, so probably terrible. I said I would either stage manage or do costumes, and I think I would rather be stage managing. But we shall see. I am hoping COVID lets up, Nigel will travel, and Katie will let me use the costume shop/stock as I am so used to throwing money at costume problems, so it will be another change. Also, personalities in community theatre tend to make me nutty. I get that they don’t usually get a real designer and want to do their own thing, but sometimes it hurts my eyes when they are all together...