This past month I babysat an 11 and 7-year-old. Both are incredible kids and will go on to do even more incredible things with their lives. I think about what they are accomplishing now and I suddenly feel royally insignificant. Eh, despite the fact they are already trilingual and more advanced at math than me, they were the most down to earth and personable set of siblings I have ever had the pleasure of babysitting. My first day watching them, I sat with the 7-year-old, Yuri. He immediately asked a flood of questions to get to know me better and check my credibility.
"So, what is your job?" was his first question.
"Well, I'm an actor." I felt I had to answer this with as much confidence as possible so as to not come off as a flaky wannabe. I could already tell this kid had good intuition.
"And do you live by yourself?" Whenever he asked a new question he would remove his hand from his chin and place his arm out, palm open to me as if he were a psychiatrist attempting to expose some hidden memory that I had repressed.
"I have two roommates."
He squinted his eyes.
"So, you do not live with your mom?"
"Right."
Yuri sat back, crossed his arms and shook his head.
"That is so cool. You LIVE here, have a job, and DON'T live with your mom! I can't wait to grow up. That is so cool."
At that moment I knew I was an instant hit with him and continued to brag about my awesome life as an unemployed actor living with two guys eating ramen every other night in an un-air conditioned apartment and how I did NOT live my mom.
Looking at my life through a 7-year-olds point of view was refreshing. I know I occasionally joke about the 180 degree career move I made a year ago and how I suddenly became the "starving artist", but you know what, I DO live here in NYC, I DO have a job as an actor, I AM grown up and that IS cool. I am living a life that so many people wish they could experience and I will never wonder "what if".
I am constantly surrounded by some of the most talented people you will ever meet. I love them all and they are my inspiration.
So, if/when I hit yet another rejection, I will remind myself that my life is pretty "cool" right now.
