Make the Best Out of What Works Out

The realities of working at the Mama and Pop organization unfold. The day begins at 8am, when the Aussie requires a run through the vineyard. You are then asked to either pick peaches or grapefruit, tend the “Aglianico” vines (an Italian grape) which they have endearingly nicknamed “Ugly Hanako,” or run errands around The Boonies. I am surprised by my genuine willingness to want to help. I thought I would feel obligated, but rather I feel more satisfied by giving a lending hand.

However, all reality is not satisfactory. Mama and Pop have polar personalities that can cause the work environment to be a bit tense. Mama has strict expectations while Pop is open-minded and lenient.

“Why don’t you be a doctor, or a lawyer?!” Mama scolds. “$200,000 was paid just for you to be a Theater major???”

“I’m also an International Studies major…”

“Who cares. Go be a doctor.”

Pop then pats my head and says, “Don’t worry, I think you can do whatever you want and you are going to be great at it.”

As part of training, Pop required me to attend a motivational workshop. “You can network and be inspired,” he said. “And don’t forget to tell them about LWWO.”

The motivational speaker was the famous Bill Walton. Well, he’s famous if you like basketball. Bill Walton played for UCLA, then played for the Celtics. He was also inaugurated into the Basketball Hall of Fame back in the day. He contemplated jumping off the Coronado Bridge, when he had hit rock bottom with numerous ankle and spine surgeries. He found hope and climbed his way back to the top.

Unfortunately, I began to snooze when he used the moral of his stories to inspire his edge-of-the-seat audience. Whoops. Maybe it was because his speech was geared towards motivating small start-up software companies, not unemployed post-college-graduates. Indeed, I went to a motivational conference for tiny software businesses struggling to make it through the economy. Pop had left that part out.

Bill had some good quotes though. Like, “It’s not how big you are, it’s how big you play.” Or, “People make the best out of the way things work out.”

So reality at LWWO isn’t bliss all the time. It carries moments of discouragement, uncertainty, and loss. However, if you find motivation to make the best of your current situation: mine being dogs, grapes, and groceries – than hey, life works out better that way.