Some genius said "life happens while you're making other plans" he meant that shit. Sometime in 87/88 my honey and I had jettisoned our respective romantic place holders and moved in together, but life wasn't going to be "happily ever after" we struggled with money while she worked on her doctoral degree. My lack of a clear career trajectory and fear of commitment didn't help matters.
I won't go too deep into the these troubling times, but my girl suffered the loss of her younger brother and it effected her deeply. At a time when I should have clinged to her, I was emotionally useless. In my classic imitable way: I had helped with the arrangements and sorting out all the weird and utilitarian things you do when someone dies, but was unable to relate to her loss, and retreated from the relationship. In hindsight, I guess I just didn't want to become anyone's pillar. I was too immature and was already dealing with my parents (who had suffered their own setbacks) She moved out.
After a few months, we sorted through our issues. Truth be known, sometime in the months after we broke up I had to see her (forgot the reason). I went to her apartment and there she stood in the doorway: a new re-invented iteration of my honey, wearing a shiny pink bodysuit (it was still the 80's) and her natural blond tresses had become flame red. I melted. You can call me shallow, a fetishist, whatever, but you weren't there. I was. We were engaged and married with 18 months.
After we got married (the band played "Tougher Than The Rest" at our wedding) we settled into our pattern of her laser focus on her degree, and my rudderless (yet curiously productive) search for career options. We managed an apartment building in Hollywood, while I worked at various film/TV/commercial production jobs. I turned out not to have the correct disposition in dealing with pompous show business folk, and my willingness to humiliate myself had limits that I wasn't aware of.
Eventually, my freakish sales ability (including talking my way into jobs that I'm completely unqualified for) became my fall back for any misguided career aspirations that I had. Over the years I have done many many jobs including, but not limited to the following:
Warehouse/shipping manager, Janitor (at a pet hospital, gross!), Bouncer, Grocery clerk, Grocery merchandiser, Prop man, TV producer (Emmy nominated!), Executive recruiter, Car salesman, Beef Jerky salesman, Coffee salesman, Candy salesman, Cigar store owner, Bar/restaurant owner, a year where I got paid and was never required to do any work (I recommend this to everyone), and Director of sales for a Toy company (today)
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