A ray of hope...
Never underestimate the value of a good friend. I've lived with that concept in my mind for years, and I'm constantly reminded of it. It happened again today.
A friend of a friend (or a not-quite-so-close-friend, depending on how you want to define 'friend') has done some automotive work in the past...he works at a place that has access to all the tools and gear to really tear into a motor effectively, and he's done work for Marla in the past for just the cost of parts. So, I wheedled Marla into seeing if he might be willing to do some work for me. I didn't go so far as to have her ask him to do the work...I have enough personal pride that I wouldn't pass that particular buck along the line. I just wanted to make sure that there was a chance he might say yes, before I put myself in the awkward situation of asking him for a big favor (I hate asking friends for favors which they can't fulfill...I hate even more being asked for favors that I can't fulfill, so I don't want to put anyone else in that position).
So far, the light is green. Marla called tonight and said he'd be willing to talk about what needs to be done, and whether or not he could do it. So, for the first time since my engine started chattering at me, I've got a little hope for the thing. I'll still likely need to come up with something else to drive while the work is being done...but at least there's a glimmer of light on the horizon.
Funny, how you don't realize how stressed you can get about some things, until that stress is relieved.
Never underestimate the value of a good friend. I've lived with that concept in my mind for years, and I'm constantly reminded of it. It happened again today.
A friend of a friend (or a not-quite-so-close-friend, depending on how you want to define 'friend') has done some automotive work in the past...he works at a place that has access to all the tools and gear to really tear into a motor effectively, and he's done work for Marla in the past for just the cost of parts. So, I wheedled Marla into seeing if he might be willing to do some work for me. I didn't go so far as to have her ask him to do the work...I have enough personal pride that I wouldn't pass that particular buck along the line. I just wanted to make sure that there was a chance he might say yes, before I put myself in the awkward situation of asking him for a big favor (I hate asking friends for favors which they can't fulfill...I hate even more being asked for favors that I can't fulfill, so I don't want to put anyone else in that position).
So far, the light is green. Marla called tonight and said he'd be willing to talk about what needs to be done, and whether or not he could do it. So, for the first time since my engine started chattering at me, I've got a little hope for the thing. I'll still likely need to come up with something else to drive while the work is being done...but at least there's a glimmer of light on the horizon.
Funny, how you don't realize how stressed you can get about some things, until that stress is relieved.
posted by Curtis at 10:59 PM
2 Comments:
Good luck with the car. although at 300K you may be looking at more and more of this. Seems like a new car might be in the offing whether you like that idea or not (or, as I buy, a new-USED car).
Re: your comment on my blog. I hear you. It's not that I would want to take away anything from our students as far as experience. The problem right now is we're throwing untrained people into situations that are too hard for them and they're learning the wrong things the wrong way. The best way is to have the new people assist (stage manage, light design, set design, etc.) and that's just not happening. It used to. So we get some students freaking out because they're unprepared. That's what I mean by cutting back a bit.
As far as the acting students, it's still a little tough in that they want to act all the time but they don't want to put the time into the tech stuff like they should. Most of the tech work is handled by about 10% of our students or less who take on more than they should, due to an admirable sense of responsibility and pride.
Some of the acting students take on independent projects when they're not in a mainstage show and they tend to overload themselves that way as well.
I think, by slowing our productions schedule down a bit, and by reducing the scale of what we produce, we can better serve the students, allow them to apprentice a bit before they take charge, and get a fuller experience without really taking anything away.
Yeah, when you explain it that way (which is, when you get right down to it, what I figured you meant), cutting back really would be a good idea...or else putting some further restrictions (like you can only be involved in so many school productions as an actor, etc...) It would force people to be more selective about what they auditioned for (or, at least, what they agreed to perform in), and increase the chances for other acting students to get performance opportunities.
I realize I'm kind of an oddball--but one of the things I remember most fondly about my time up at USU was the chance I got to do a little of everything. It's actually been one of the things that's kept me working...because I either have done, or can figure out how to do, just about anything anyone throws my way now. That was, I thought, one of the great strengths of the USU program. Sorry to hear that it's slipping away...
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