I don’t have a real job. So, when someone asks me “What do you do?,” I kinda panic. One of the primary reasons I started this blog was so that I could continue to put words to “what I do.” Maybe I should try to only ever answer visually. Perhaps, when folks ask, “So, what do you do?,” I can whip out a 4’x6′ postcard with this image and hand it to them…
But, that might be weird.
We all know the traditional way to answer this question. We are all supposed to have a profession. “I am a doctor.” “I am a lawyer.” “I am a firefighter.” These are all great answers. But this is problematic for me. I could say…
- “I am a theater teacher and director.” – However, I am rarely in the room with actors these days. And when I am, I am rarely doing theater in the traditional sense. When I am, I am helping folks, who do not identify as professional actors, practice being braver, more compassionate people. I just use theater to do it.
- “I am a business owner.” – However, then, of course, I have to explain what my business does and that is a whole other complicated web of description…one which I am working very hard to make simpler…especially because it is one of those businesses with a mission to do good and not just make money so I could also say…
- “I am a social entrepreneur.” – Which I have on my business card and LinkedIn profile, but it feels funny to say it out loud for some reason. It’s not one of those “doctor” or “lawyer”-type professions that conjures up an immediate image in the mind of the person you are talking to.
Maybe, I am being too modest. Maybe, I am just not being bold and brave enough to say what it is I am truly here TO DO in the world. Maybe the next time someone asks me, I will have the courage to answer:
I am a leader in a compassion revolution. Theater is my tool. I make plays with all kinds of regular folks that promote the virtues we desperately crave and often neglect as humans. I also build and inspire programs, organizations, and systems to support this revolution.
Is that too wordy? Is it just too much to throw at someone over cocktails at a happy hour mixer? Or, do I owe it to my work and my mission to tell the whole truth.
I don’t know. You tell me. What do YOU do?
“In the rest of the jail, E Section is famous for being ‘luxurious’ in comparison. Our students have more time outside their cells, board games in the common room, art and yoga classes… but along with those privileges comes the expectation that they will be a part of a more intentional community. They need to be for each other and for healthy rehabilitation…Every so often I will stand back and realize how surreal this place is. I think that real magic happens when art is made is unlikely places, but more importantly I think everyone involved is confronted with their common humanness.”
I think Veterans should make plays.
Did you know that Rachel Maddow has a Cocktail Moment? During this election season, I have become a huge fan of hers and, last night, for the first time, I watched as she ended her week by sharing one of her favorite cocktails with us. My partner and I just sat there, eyes wide and mouths agape, as she poured a new spin on the Old Fashioned.
Lynn Johnson 