I miss living and working here. Although I did not have the time to enjoy this place the way I am today when I lived here a decade ago. If I return to America for good this is one place I would strongly consider living. So I hit the street in search of a job in The city of Culver today. Trader Joe’s was my first target. It has a great public image — comfortable, affordable, good for the environment. The problem I face is one of focus and preparation.
As I look around Starbucks I am imagining what led these people to their current job. I think the people who have jobs spent their time focusing on their career, prepared and got the job they were ready to do. At least that is what I assume. I know that life sometimes throws us curve balls like when someone we love dies, or when we lose a job. But these people look resilient. They also look as if they haven’t had to weather too many storms, recently at least.
In my case, that is certainly true. About preparation and focus, that is. I went to school to become a financial analyst. I taught Tae Kwon Do years ago. Today I am an English teacher. I once ran my own business in high school. All of these experiences are diverse, i.e., they lack focus. Sure they prepared me for something, but what? Cut to — me at Starbucks looking for a job. Unlike these people that is my focus now.
If I am unsuccessful it may just be poor timing. That’s something I am learning from Michael Jordan’s biography, The Life. It was all about timing for Jordan. It may not be my time. I should probably just enjoy this two month vacation. After all, I am still employed in Korea. I just want to be productive and earn back the money I spent on travel, and overall irresponsibility while in Korea. I blame that behavior on boredom and lack of discipline.
How it looks from the inside: Starbucks
The white people dressed in suits who work in Culver City look like executives and managers. The other white people look like grips, gaffers, and PAs for the studios. T-shirts, jeans, sneakers. These are good guesses since Culver Studios is just a hop skip and jump away. There are some writers who spend their days here working on their script. The Asians and Chicanos look like nurses and medical assistants. There is a medical center just across the street. Then there are the students from UCLA and other nearby universities. It’s a diverse bunch reflected by the diverse staff at Starbucks — Black, White, Asian, Hispanic.