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QUARTER NOTE

Ready . . . ?

David Freedman, PM2

The masks are nearly off. Oregon and Washington I’ve been doing it all wrong. And this isn’t the first
are now completely open to businesses for the first time I’ve come to that conclusion.
time in over a year. And we’ve survived a nasty I knew in high school that I didn’t want to
heat wave. On the one hand, I’m enthusiastic that follow a set, predetermined path to “guarantee”

we’ve managed to hold out this long considering me success in the workforce. I didn’t want to be a
the awful year we’ve had. Like many people, I look part of that workforce in the first place. I wanted
forward to attaining some semblance of normalcy. to be a writer, singer, and actor. I recognized that
Do we know what that looks like? I learned to pace the second and third careers would take a lot more

myself a lot better. I came to terms with the fact work. Performers with disabilities, then as now,
that I’m not ready to settle for anything less than have never had it easy in show business. From a
full job satisfaction. Therefore, returning to work career standpoint, these weren’t exactly logical
fills me with a certain level of dread. choices for me to take. The writing didn’t need

Am I ready to go back to work? No, not really. people to know about my facial paralysis. I could
Not by a long shot. start there and work my way up. Unfortunately,
One of the things that I’ve noticed is the my confidence in my own abilities was lacking
importance of slowing down. This has never been back then. The ability to persevere under tough

easy for me for any number of reasons. Persistent or unusual circumstances takes time to develop.
financial worries can make you wonder if you’ll I had a lot to learn in terms of how to find a job.
ever get the work you’ve always wanted. I’ve had a What occupation do I use to maintain my finances
year to work through many different issues, both until I prosper as an artist? There were many other

financial and spiritual. I’ve realized something choices to make until I succeeded in creating
rather profound about my workplace situation. the career I wanted for myself. I followed the

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