I read today that Robert Downey Jr. said that Burger King saved his life. While in the dark pit of drug addiction, he ate a Burger King burger, and it apparently tasted so bad, that he decided not to sink any lower into the pit. I have been sinking into a pit, too. The terrifying pit of artistic starvation. When you come from a sophisticated artistic background, teaching Korean children English while they scream at you in unintelligible Hangul shrieks, is like being in the darkest The Ring pit with little Samaras clutching at you with sticky, muddy fingers. In other words, you are being smeared with crap every day for 7+ hours. The diamond-like background of art, learning about beauty and the skills involved with capturing it, fades away quicker than a toilet flush.
So if you find yourself transitioning from the diamond world to the crap world because of the world's greatest necessary evil - money - you are expected to just suck it up. You're getting paid very well for all the sucking, but in the end you have to face the fact that you are, in fact, sucking. A far cry from the sparkles.
When you have to consume so much crap every day (and I know I'm not alone in this), it's easy to just give in and embrace it (the crap). It's easier, and more comfortable. Why strive for diamonds if your mind is so much more entertained by crap? It's easier to access. It's made for easy consumption. It's what everyone does. It's warm, in a mind-numbing way. You can just lie back and take it in, like an ice-cream melting on a dirty sidewalk. Why not just embrace the crap that's all around you anyway?
Because of Robert. Because he could have decided to let his chosen crap rule him. Because that might have killed him, and robbed the world of him. I'm not saying he's the world's best artist. But he has diamonds to live for. And so do you. Not all of us are artists, but everyone has a diamond to polish - whether it's getting back to your seemingly ruined career, being a good mother, not giving up on exercise or finishing your degree. You have to keep polishing, otherwise the overload of crap will smother it (and you). For every diamond, there is at least a ton of crap out there. Don't let it in.
And this is why I should write. Why I have to write. Because I can't let my diamond sink so deep that I won't be able to find it again. Even if it's just a wipe a day. Then, someday, it might start shining so bright that some people will notice. And even if they don't... even if they see it as only another piece of crap being served...
I have eaten my last Burger King burger, and I will turn this around. Watch this crappy space.
