Tuesday, July 29, 2008

"What do you wanna do?"

Or, "what kind of job would make you happy?"

Do you know how many times I’ve either asked myself those questions, or been asked it? Let’s just say… a lot.

I’ve also been extremely lucky to have many opportunities with my various “careers” thus far. Restaurateur, nightclub owner, radio talk show host, writer, editor, teacher, jello-maker and lemonade salesman. (There’s a list of about 40 more on my website, in case you’re interested.)

But, just for fun, I thought I might just jot down a few of the things I’d still like to do with my life… and maybe it would shed some light on why I find these gaps between jobs so angst-inducing.

I’d still like to:

• Work for FEMA
• Be a gap year consultant
• Sell my “Travel 101” book about how to travel fearlessly, maybe teach a class in it
• Consult on a “new-age” bowling center
• Finish my post-2012 apocalypse screenplay, a theatrical scenario
• Teach English as a Foreign Language somewhere like Turkey, Brazil or Laos
• Write a screenplay about a fascinating true story of Abe Lincoln and the slaves
• Start a retirement home for gays
• Be a self-employed project manager, doing one-off projects (i.e. finish and move on)
• Talent scout around the world for Cirque du Soleil
• Work for the New American Musical Theatre Festival in NYC
• Become a restaurant “tune-up” consultant using my 182 point inspection
• Run a piano bar in either NYC, Dublin or Cape Town
• Start a company where you don’t offer advice, only listen, called “Ears To You”
• Work for UNESCO, UN or USO
• Be a personal assistant to Kevin Spacey, Stephen Sondheim or Chris Rock
• Produce a TV show called “Exaltation” – about all the moments of triumph in history
• Open a soup and pie shop (two foods you’re always in the mood for)
• Write a series of travel stories called “First Impressions”
• Produce a TV show about singing divas from around the world (every city has one)
• Start a website and magazine all about high school musicals around the country
• Work on “The World” – the famous seafaring condo
• Start “Men In Kilts,” a window washing company
• Write a screenplay about these Mexican dishwashers in a Greek restaurant… who decide to go to Greece
• Produce a show called “Naked Straight Guys” (with Ronnie Larsen)
• Open “Santa CafĂ©,” a coffee/wine bar featuring my Santa Claus collection
• Write a comic book aimed at helping teens choose the right career path
• Start “Galapakid,” a company that takes kids on trips to the Galapagos Islands
• Help the Physically Handicapped Actors League expand to other cities
• Be a travel companion to a very rich person
• Write a screenplay about a group of survivalists who live on a freighter ship
• Develop my idea for marbles
• Produce a reality show called “America’s Funniest Flight Attendant”
• Direct my version of “My Fair Lady”
• Help produce a New Worlds Fair, to give hope to kids like the ones did in ’39 and ‘64
• Start ENVI, an environmental theater festival
• Produce a TV series about people who are ex-pats from the United States
• Open a restaurant that only prepares recipes from the previous months food magazines
• Write a book about famous travelers throughout history
• Research the 18th century French Prophets
• Produce a “star search” type TV series, but feature actors instead of dancers or singers
• Write a musical based on St. Francis of Assisi and his love, Claire

Maybe you can see why I get confused about what to do next. For me, ideas are the easy part -- it’s knowing what to do next that’s hard.
If you’d like to help with me on any of them, or if you have an idea as to how to make any of them happen, please feel free to write me (thom@thomwise.com). But if you steal ‘em, please pay me. Thanks.

Love,
Thom