What Do You Do For A Living?
Hello, New York (haha)! My flight was this past Sunday, and if I could return in time I would avoid Alaska Airlines at all costs. That journey was most definitely an interesting one, but I would like to think that it was worth it. I have a tendency to book flights on either end of the spectrum - either really early or really late. Regardless of which I choose, I find myself always in a rush or agitated in some sort of way. As usual, I had less than 30 minutes before boarding (sue me but getting there early won’t make the plane take off sooner), and the security line was massive. It was only after that I realized I left my water bottle entirely full, so I had to get cleared through that entire line again. Already off to a bad start, I was hoping to get some rejuvenating sleep on the plane. I am a pretty light sleeper, so the fact that I was able to even close my eyes, says a lot. Of course, with my luck, my flight unexpectedly landed in Detroit (of all places), and I had to stay there overnight. I had mentioned before that I have quite an extensive history of traveling alone, so while I was not disheartened by this unfortunate mishap, my friend was. My automatic response is to get these things done with the utmost control. I know that the minute I falter everything will fall apart. Upon the sudden cancellation in Detroit, Alaska Airlines was fortunate enough to give us a very worrying list of hotels to choose from. I think that if I did stay at one of them I would either be covered in bed bugs or sleeping with a light on the entire night. Instead of blindly nodding my head, I knew there was an alternative, so I called the airline to get compensated for a better hotel instead of subjecting myself to personal discomfort. Holding a strong belief that it would work out in the end, made the transition to the new flight the following morning easier. Moments like these have led me to believe that I generally face unexpected life occurrences without hesitation. That was until I absolutely fumbled my only chance at becoming a star 🌟 (just kidding). It all started on a lovely day walking in Soho. I was walking alongside Viv, one of my closest friends, just enjoying the moment of exploring the city and embarking on my guilty pleasure: shopping! The ultimate secret to finding happiness lies in creating your own world and finding joy in the small things that bring a sense of contentment. While I pranced around in exploration, I was doing just that. As walked up onto this new street, Viv noticed this guy pull out his phone and start recording as we walked towards him. Mind you, this guy was not recording or interviewing people but quietly scoping out the crowd. As soon as I heard the words “What Do You Do For a Living,” I immediately froze. Words without meaning that vaguely defined every aspect of my life (literally everything that came to mind) was blabbered with intense speed. As some of you may know, I work from home this summer as a writer and when he asked me what content was my favorite I said “everything.” I am not conceited per se, just rather foolish. Props to Ted Zhar because his content is so fun and light-hearted, and I truly wish I could go back in time and be a lot more open with that conversation. Since then, I have enjoyed watching him interview regular people and celebrities in the streets of New York. I was so frustrated with my hesitance that I could not even finish shopping and moped around all day. Not only has it provided me with a funny story, but it also showed me that sometimes you’ll have everything sorted out and other times you won’t. Life has an interesting way of putting you in novel situations. The ultimate goal might be to approach them all with elegance and class, but it does not always happen. Do not fret - it all works out in the end.
- With love, Fiza Usman
