Changing positions
Early morning on the bus. Perfect for daydreaming. What if?
What if I changed jobs? Got back off the bus, and wandered into the small store, where the Help Wanted sign has gone hi-tech: a flat screen TV behind the cash register. I could offer my services, based on a lifetime of buying things in just such a store. A quick outline of my intention to deal with each client promptly, with a friendly air. During quiet moments, I could rearrange the magazine racks, or test new coffee blends that would amaze the regulars. I know how to make change in the metric system, and if we suddenly had a lapse of sanity and implanted the Imperial system (pence, shillings, pounds) I would adjust accordingly.
Or perhaps not retail. As the bus turned the corner, I noticed a crane, busily shifting materials at the new condo development. I could do that. Forget for a moment that a one-eyed operator might have difficulty with 3D. On windy days, I’d take my time. On sunny days, I’d take my time. After all, cranes are dangerous when the boom swings unexpectedly.
The bus didn’t stop, and in a Walter Mitty moment, I spotted the camera operator outside CBC. I could do that; I almost did, a long time ago. After reading up on cinema techniques, I applied for a summer position as the news camera guy at a local network station. I felt qualified, but the filial relationship of another candidate with the station manager may have influenced the final choice.
For now, I’ll keep on doing what I do, but there’s a world full of options, waiting to be tested.
