SCPL Online NonFiction Book Club discussion

Throughout the book, Mara discusses the fact that although she thoroughly enjoyed acting as a child, it became clear as she grew older that she didn’t fit into the prototype of the Hollywood actress. As time went on, she also discovered that her passions lay elsewhere: in writing and performing, but on a different scale.

In an interview Mara commented, “I loved to write. I started writing dialogue, and I started doing performance pieces — like 10-minute solo performance pieces — and eventually I did a one-woman show, and that felt so much more real than being on a set every day.”

As ever, Mara is completely honest. Changing professions didn’t bring immediate success or acceptance. In fact, she shares a very embarrassing and cringe-worthy performance in vivid detail beginning on page 247. Despite her anxiety, however, she passed through the agony of a horrible show and found she was better for it – becoming more confident in herself.

Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation – when the profession you trained for or hoped to achieve didn’t pan out?

Mara found the transition to a new profession difficult but found that she was a better person for it. Do you think you’d be the same?

when I was little I wanted to be a teacher. I had always wanted to be a teacher. I came from a family of teachers. One summer during my undergrad, I found myself working in a museum. All of a sudden, there was more to life than teaching. I still wanted to be a teacher, but maybe working in a museum wouldn't be that bad. When my 4th year of univeristy rolled around, my first choices were teachers programs and my second choice was a museum program. I didn't get into any of the teacher's colleges, and I didn't get into the museum program. However, the museum program offered me a spot in their sister information program and I took it. Jump ahead 10 years later, and I am a librarian who loves her job and looking back, I would have made an ok teacher, but I don't think I would have loved it the same way I love my current job.

All this to say, that Fate or the Universe or whatever has a way of pushing you in directions that challenge you and make you better - like Mara's first show. It's how we deal with the changes/challenges that make us better.

Thank you for sharing your story Lillian!

I agree that where you are in life is (to a degree) dependent on how you come up against challenges and respond to them.

In my own experience in choosing a career I was totally geared towards academic librarianship. All my classes were in based on that topic - I had a vision of doing research as an academic librarian and I even had an internship in that area as well. Positions that specific, unfortunately, are few and far between and often require relocation, which was not an option for me. A few years later and I'm in a job that I never imagined I'd have and never imagined that I'd love!

Persistence, dedication and a willingness to try something new can really help when making a profession-based transition.

~Marcella