The Trellis

Where Have I Been???

My goodness its been forever. Reggie's posted about burgers, and corona...all about Sicily, and I haven't done a thing. I'm such a bad person. But basically it comes down to this. Rome was the Lord's most amazing gift to me. I can't thank him enough, except to do his will. He taught me about listening, about patience and about love...and also that I will be working on those things for the rest of my life. So thank goodness for that too. It means my life isn't over!!

I figured I could write a little brief about my current situation...actually, its kinda long. Be careful.

On Monday I will begin doing some temporary work in NYC for the Union for Reform Judaism (www.urj.org) Apparently its some kind of research/updating work for this non-profit company that is well...Jewish...so I'm excited! I'll be working with a Rabbi...so maybe we'll have a chance to exchange about our faith life. I'll let you all know how my conversion process goes....

After the mission I went home to my parents for a few days, spent a wonderful time playing with my nephews, and then it was back to NYC for the past week pounding the pavements (looking for work), meeting with friends, and other eccentric personalities, and trying to readjust back to "normal" city life. Have I told you how much I love New York City?? Indulge me for a moment, and let me elaborate...

I don't have a place to live yet, so I was crashing at my brother's apartment in Jersey, using his internet access to send out a gazillion resumes to places ranging from theatre administrative jobs, to secretarial work. There is another possibility for a youth minister thing that came up too, but we'll see...

Tuesday there was a fundraiser for a Bioethics Consulting company an acquaintance of mine is starting (www.bioethicsinternational.org). It was on the rooftop bar of a huge building on 5th Ave. with this fantastic view of the Empire State Building (currently the tallest building in NYC, after the towers collapsed), the Chrysler Building, and some other impressive architecture of my fair city! Comparing NYC to Rome is like comparing apples & oranges, but let me just tell you that it was one breathtaking and beautiful view! When I grow up I want a rooftop like that.
So this fundraiser party was only one among many other social gatherings for various Fortune 500 companies and personalities, on the rooftop that evening. There are so many young professionals in NYC! And they need wicked amounts of evangelisation. When I first got there I was so overwhelmed it almost made me sick. Coming from 9 months in such a relatively serene environment, to this---full of glamour, fashion, ego, and attitude, was quite a shock. So I found myself a nice little alcove in the back with a couple of closer friends and tried my best to wean myself into socializing. Luckily, I didn't have to try too hard, and people came to me. (Good evangelisation tactic ;) I think I talked more that night than I have in the past few months. I talked mostly about Rome, simply because people asked...but my purpose in going to this thing was to network, get my face back out there, meet new people, and heck--if evangelisation came into it too, that was the icing on the cake! A lot of people were really intrigued by the ESM, and many of them have heard of the Emmanuel Community...so they were eager to hear more about what we do. I met a few artists, and am trying to build up my contact list for future art events. One project that developed from these encouters was to do a similar kind of fundraiser and incorporate some aspects of the Centro Art thing into it. So in due time, and with tons 'o prayer, hopefully that will happen. I'll let you know.....

BUT...on Monday (and then Thursday)...something else huge happened! I'm very excited!!! Some of you may start shaking your heads and questioning my sanity, but...I know its the right thing...and it will hopefully help me to achieve those 'larger' goals I talk about...

Ok...well you know about that job as a campus minister I was interviewing for? Well on Thursday...I got a phone call...

On Monday I met with my friend Peter who's the artistic director for the theatre company I was working with. He had been calling me the whole week before pestering me about when I was going to be in the city. Finally we meet...he lays out his desires to me:

Him: "We need you, we want you, blah, blah, blah..."

Me: "Yes!!!"

So basically, for this entire season (September-June) I will be stage managing the first two plays of the season (Ross by Terence Rattigan--about Lawrence of Arabia set in the Middle East--so we need Arabic looking actors... There are only men in the play. 22 of them. Lucky me! The second play is called Linnea, I don't know the author, and its an adaptation of Dostoevsky's The Idiot, about the redemption of an exotic dancer).

Then in MAY!!! If things go the way they're planned...I will be producing/publicizing, assistant directing on one, and fully directing another, of the Festival of JPII's plays!!

Why will you start shaking your heads in confusion?? Well....

#1--I won't be getting paid financially, but the experience, exposure, and contacts I am making will be very fruitful.

#2--The phone call I received on Thursday was from the priest I interviewed with...and I turned the job down.

Hopefully, we'll be able to work collaboratively together in the future, especially when it comes to the arts and evangelisation, but I just know that at this point with my involvement and full desire to be devoted to the theatre, and the community, there is no way I could physically, emotionally, or mentally devote my time to both the Campus Ministry job and to the season at hand.

I came home this afternoon to my parents' and my Dad was pretty upset at me. I don't know if we'll talk this weekend or not, but of course he doesn't understand and doesn't favor my decision. I know this path is going to take a lot more work on my part, but I almost think that its MUCH better this way. I really believe its going to make me grow much more than if I had a job that fulfilled all of my comforts.

So even when I suck at putting together an Excel spreadsheet, and it challenges me to find office/secretarial work--it just means I have to work that much harder at learning Excel so I can get that Administrative Assistant job that pays 35K a year. One thing my friends, interviewers, and others kept reminding me the past couple of days was that I am, "still young". I embrace that! I don't have all the answers, and its an incredibly humbling thing, but it is doing wonders for me. Especially, after a night full of ego boosting from other encounters.

Spiritually, I've been trying to stick to the daily mass thing, but sometimes it gets a little hectic with the interviews and such. I suppose I need to be more disciplined in that. But one of the joys I've found in keeping up with some kind of consistent spiritual food, is diving into scripture daily...even if its just a bite. Recording those passages, and other thoughts, I've been trying to keep a scripture/evangelisation prayer journal. (I found some of those great Clairefontaine notebooks that Siska used regularly), and its absolutely indespensible to me now.

I could go on, but I'll spare you. These are the highlights. More soon???

posted by Mish @ 22:48