The Pandemic Proved That Work Is a Privilege
I’m finally ready to start treating it that way
In early 2020, my fledgling stand-up comedy career was finally finding its footing. I had started working the road for a large chain of clubs and had booked upcoming gigs in New York City, where I had meetings with influential industry gatekeepers scheduled on March 17.
Of course, that NYC trip never happened. But lockdown did, and the momentum born from seven years of full-time grinding, open mics, and doing all possible gigs went straight down the toilet. I was scared and pissed off. But after a week or so, I realized something — all the clubs were closed, so no one was working. In this ultra-competitive industry, I wasn’t losing any professional ground. Petty though it was, the rationalization soothed me.
The shutdown also freed me from the constant stress of emailing club bookers, networking for gigs with other comics, and posturing on social media about the quality and quantity of shows I had coming up. I would never have chosen it, but when work stopped, so ceased the FOMO, constant hustle, and weight of career comparison that went with it. Like Elsa in Frozen, I let it go.
Whether we would admit it or not, there were some positive elements about life in quarantine. Obviously, millions lost jobs and loved…
