Unscripted - A Blog for Actors - Backstage: High-Class Problems

After talking to my commercial agency last night and being told that it was down to me and one other person (WHAT DO YOU MEAN OTHER PERSON?? LOL) This morning I got word that I BOOKED THE WAL-MART COMMERCIAL!! I was very happy to hear it, and to hear it early enough that I knew for certain whether or not I could leave for my trip to St. Maarten on Saturday morning (the answer is NO). No sweat - I'll lose some money (which doesn't thrill me) but I'll make it up in the long run. Losing my friggin' time share week after I was told that I WOULDN'T pissed me the hell off. So, my day had a bittersweet beginning.

I made lots of phone calls to people who were waiting to find out whether I would be going or staying. I cancelled my flight, argued with the time share people, called my mother to vent, and she talked me down off the roof and told me to get my behind to my fitting.

I drove to Santa Monica for my fitting, and found out that I wasn't doing what I did in my audition, instead of one son, I was given TWINS, and instead of doing one vignette within the commercial, I was doing two. I even got cute clothes to wear. Color me happy. The director came in to pre-approve wardrobe before the ad agency people saw it, and I told him that I was happy to be working with him again, then I told him that I had been going on vacation, but I'm glad to have the chance to shoot this. He laughed, said the quickest way to book something is to buy a plane ticket, and called this a "high-class problem". I thought that put it into perspective: instead of wondering how in the heck I'm going to pay my bills (been there most of my life), or (God forbid) feed my six children or keep the lights on, or whatever, I've been stressing out over whether or not I'm going to go on my vacation now or later. I do realize that all problems are relative, but if I have to have problems, there are far worse ones to have. I have HAD far worse. I'm still pissed off about my time share week, but I have to let that go. I get to shoot next week!

After the fitting, I got into my car and called my mother (using a hands-free device, considering it's now the law, and all). The car was driving funny, and the steering well kept pulling to the right. "It can't be-" I was thinking as I got out & looked at the tire I just bought on Monday: FLAT AS A FLOUNDER. How can the front right tire go flat twice in a week? This was a brand new tire. *Sigh* One of those days. It took me 45 minutes to get through to roadside assistance, and another hour fifteen before the guy showed up. I wasn't happy, I was annoyed, but all things considered, my life could be a lot worse. I'm thankful for what I have, excited about shooting next week, happy I won't starve this year, and I just need to quit trippin' altogether. I lost $317 in fees paid for my trip, a time share week, and an $80 tire all in one day. Sucks, but I think I'll live. I get to WORK next week!

Only when you love what you do can you actually be HAPPY about having to work. Even when it's bad, it doesn't get any better than that.

--Nicole J. Butler