The Best Advice

I was thinking about this last night and today it seem appropriate to talk about it.  When I was working at the local movie theater, we would occasionally have famous people come in.  I worked at the theater whenever I was on college breaks.  That's when it was busiest anyway.  That's how I met Harvey Fierstein.   For those of you who don't know who he is, he is an actor who is famous for his gravelly voice.   He was in films like Independence Day and Mrs. Doubtfire.  He is currently involved in the musical, Kinky Boots on Broadway.

Mr. Fierstein lives a few towns away, so he would come to the movies sometimes.  I would talk to him a bit when he would come in.  After college, I worked at the theater for a while.  The last time I talked to Mr. Ferstein was the week before I left to get a "real job."  I told him that I have a college degree, I can't spend my entire life here.  His reply has always stayed with me.

"Well, you could, but your life would be very sad."  he said in a matter of fact tone.  It was one of the most profound things ever said to me.  A man who I sold tickets to every once in a while saw enough in me to know that I was too smart to stay in a place like that.  Maybe I had more talent than even I believed.

The reason why it was appropriate to write about it today was that I got notified that my application for promotion would not be considered because I got a verbal warning the day after I applied.  It was my fault and the warning was the correct course of action.  2013 was a very bad year for me.  I can point every bad thing that happened to one day, February 6, which will forever be called Doomsday.  My brain completely altered due to a severe bout of depression.  I have not fully recovered.  I am no longer as careful as I once was.

I will continue to work on Pile of Good Things.  I don't know why companies can get away with destroying their employees lives.  True, we all have the freedom to go somewhere else to work, but for those of us with a mental illness, the same problems tend to arise no matter where we work.  I will work to change that.  Depression changes almost everything including thought patterns.  Knowledge is power.  Through education and communication we can create a healthy work environment.

So, thank you, Mr. Fierstein, for that one moment where you knew that I was meant for something more.  You are amazing.