Forks (NJM12)
Which makes me wonder, how many saw that title and thought it was a Twilight reference?
No, something else – a friend asked me today what I would be doing (professionally) if I wasn’t running Open Diary. Which made me think about times when my career might have gone differently (disclaimer – I’m not saying any of these alternate universes would have been better, I can’t imagine a life with no OD, nor would I ever want a life that’s different from what I have now – this is simply mental exercise):
1) When I was in high school, I spent a lot of time working with a group of student filmmakers, shooting 8mm comedy and horror (and horrorcomedy) films. They were nothing big, were mostly spectacularly bad, but occasionally really funny. Somewhere, there is film of me dressed as a middle-aged housewife, exiting a supermarket and being assailed by a trio of muggers armed with seltzer bottles (yes, seltzer bottles – think Three Stooges).
Nothing ever came of the films, except that they are probably in a box in somebody’s basement in suburban Detroit. But…the group of kid filmmakers I was fooling around with included Ted Raimi, whose brother Sam I had worked with on the school paper. Sam and some of his other school friends (like Bruce Campbell) had finished Within the Woods, and had it’s first showing in our school auditorium, to help raise money for the soon-to-be produced Evil Dead. Of course, Sam and Ted both went on to bigger and better things in film and TV – if I had stayed in there circle of friends and workers, who knows what might have happened.
2) In the 90’s I was doing a lot of consulting for large corporations, writing financial and human resources software for companies like Allied-Signal, Nabisco, AT&T, Schering-Plough, Bell Labs, etc. At one point, I was working for a large regional mortgage bank, writing software that helped screen loan applicants. I got on really well with the client, who was the vice president of IT for the organization. I had scored a lot of points helping to reorganize his department (somehow, I often ended up doing management consulting, even though I had come for systems consulting). After being with them for several months, the client offered me his job – he was planning on leaving at the end of the year, and said that if I came on board then and stayed through the end of the year, I could be his replacement.
This would have been a high-powered, high-pay job – working as the vice president of a large bank. But it would have required me to abandon my own business, and go back to working inside a corporate structure (which I had started consulting on my own to get away from), with all the ass-kissing, performance reviews, and two percent salary increases that I hated. Obviously, I turned him down. A couple years later, the bank was acquired by Chase, and a lot of the people I had worked with were let go – but still, that was a job that would have looked good on the resume.
3) I also used to want to be a hockey player, when I was six. That would have been different.
There actually was a real other one, but it was starting to feel like I sounded like I wished for these other things to happen, and nothing could be further from the truth. The truth is, I have the best job in the world – I wouldn’t trade it for anything, and that’s a fact.
The DiaryMaster
Whoa whoa whoa…hold the phone…are you telling me that if you had stuck with the film making, you probably would have been on Xena in some way or another?? I WORSHIP THE GROUND YOU WALK ON!!! lol
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I enjoyed this entry. Nice to learn a little more about you. Thanks for starting & maintaining Open Diary. My life is richer because of it. I love to read other diarists’ stories and I learn much from them. I appreciate being able to ask for advice and getting lots of notes with others’ opinions.
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Yep, I totally though you were referring to Twilight. Methinks I’m getting a tad bit obesessed…
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I instantly thought of four tines, since three tines would be a trident. Tridents are for ruling the seven seas.
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Sucks you don’t have a copy of those films! Would have been a great laugh if you watched them again after all these years. 🙂 There’s always infinite paths to choose from – each embarking on its own destiny – But if you can live without any regrets, then that’s the great achievement and that’s the knowing that you are happy where you are in this moment! 🙂
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I don’t like this, DM; all this personal information is starting to make you sound human. *wink* More pictures of the kittens please.
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what the hell is twilight?
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LOL Someone does not know what Twilight is! he, he, he …
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lol you should have stuck with hockey!
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lol…saw your title and had an image of an actual fork…Oo …hehe…never read the twilight series so I have no idea how they relate…
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LOL, I thought it was a reference to Twilight :D.
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*raises hand for thinking it was a Twilight reerence then hangs head in shame* xx
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You’ve really had a fascinating life!
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i was so excited for a twilight entry haha twilight mania! nice to know a bit more about you! xx
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i admit it, i totally went straight to twilight when i read the title…
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film maker… hmmmmm…. sound like a great career
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Yup I assumed Twilight lol. xxx
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I saw the title and thought of that Robert Frost poem…
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Never “got” the Twilight reference. Not into that nonsense. How fortunate for you that you get to do something you love.
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SO – in comparison with those well paying other-life possibilities, how well off are you through what you make with OD? I think all inquiring minds would like to know. How much is this a sacrifice or a reward in that department. I don’t know about everyone else but considering how many people have found a home here and how much of your blood sweat and tears goes into maintaining the best diarysite on the internet, I would wish you were able to skim enough cream off the top to live very well. But what is the reality? Will you ever tell?
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i thought “forks, washington?” then i thought, “get over it.” 🙂 i adore the evil dead movies. all in all, i’m glad this is where you ended up.
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Woooow, Sam Raimi? He’s my hero! lol Just think, if you had never come to OD, I never would have met my husband. I am so happy that this is where you ended up! lol
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Hey True Confessions asked the question I wanted to ask and in such a nice way too. Do you make enuf money with OD to be comfortable? Cuz you know we love OD and we thank you for your service to us.
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Ha ha..My thought train when I saw the title was this: Twilight reference? NO way…but I bet he says “you thought it was a Twilight reference” I am so smart. 😀 Interesting forks in your road of careers…very interesting indeed…:)
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Wait wait. Wait. Wait. Did you say Bruce Campbell? Bruce Campbell?! Tell me you still keep in touch with your high school friends.
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Glad you love us so much that we make this the best job ever. :p
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🙂
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I must be hungry because I saw “Forks” and my first though was about food lol. I’m glad you decided to do OD. This is a really cool site. I love being able to come on here and write whatever I’m feeling as well as randomly find other diarist so thanks a lot! I peeked around on other journaling sites but I like this one the best. 🙂
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I remember reading in Wikipedia about you and the Raimis…that’s pretty dang interesting stuff! But honestly…I’m glad you stuck with OD. I’ve met some truly awesome people here!
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wow! if you had become a famous hockey player, i could have watched you on tv? i’m glad you are who you are and you do what you do. take care,
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Um. Actually, I thought of forks. You know, the eating utensils. Not that I thought you were going to write an entire entry about forks, but I figured maybe they’d be mentioned somehow.
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Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth;…. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I I took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the difference. ~ Robert Frost Lucky is the person whoknows the road he took was worth the journey. Enjoy your day!
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I can’t wait to find my way into the best job in the world, so I can look back on what I’m doing and what I have done and write an entry like this. I’m certainly not there yet.
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Can’t believe you knew Sam Raimi, that’s too cool. 🙂
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I thought of utensils and a slight Twilght reference. I’m like why would he write about either of the two? I’m glad you stuck with OD too. It’s been my home for words and has saved me more than once. Not to mention it’s seen my best and worst days.
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Not I, I thought of food.
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Hockey player would be kick ass! Every time James and I watch the Sharks and someone gets in a fight I’m all,”kick his ASS!!” I looooove hockey, it’s a new addiction though. All the rules make my head swim. I’ll be seeing my first game in person very soon.
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sadly i did… :[ but i thought nooo maybe a fork in the road… or a fork on the road
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Yep, I thought of Twilight.
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od is important to a lot of people. me is one of them. thanks for making it happen.
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My husband is a HUGE fan of Sam Raimi! He went to school for film and always wanted to work with him. We always talk about the ‘what if’ scenerios if we hadn’t met, etc. It’s funny how one decision can change everything.
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well it seems you took the best route as your happy with what you do 🙂 and that’s the main point
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I wondered what type of philosophy you could possibly find in reference to forks. I am deeply disappointed, j/k
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Its nice to get to know you You seen to be a mystery man at OD and its fun to find out you are human like the rest of us. Take Care of yourself.
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interesting, your perspective on the corporate world. i wonder how long i’ll last in it.
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Sigh…I don’t even read Twilight and I thought it was a reference! 🙁
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guilty of associating your title with twilight lol interesting job choices that surrounded you. would love to see some of that film lol
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Kermit the Frog: “Turn left when you come to a fork in the road…” *Kermit and Fozzie go driving by a 12 foot fork stuck upside down in the center of the road* Fozzie Bear: “Fork in the road…!” Kermit the Frog: “I don’t believe that…” That’s what I first thought when I saw your title…but then I’m not a Twilight fan, so… *shrugs* It’s always nice to reminiscence on the past and contemplate on what could have been…it’s nicest though when you’re actually happy with WHAT IS. 🙂 Take good care!
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In the minority who didn’t think it a Twilight reference here! Very glad you chose this route in life, though.
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Wow, for once I found name dropping (Raimi, Campbell et al) interesting! How cool that their film was shown in your school auditorium. I’d have been proud! —
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Thank you so much for making this website! I am loving this!!!
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just a quick note from a lurker (have really enjoyed your njm entries!) who only thought flatware with the title… but then wondered if one could play forks in the same way as spoons… and then went off in search of ice cream, because that’s the best way to spend saturday afternoon with a spoon…. (aren’t you glad i don’t note much?)
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“Which makes me wonder, how many saw that title and thought it was a Twilight reference?” I thought it was a flatware reference. Clearly, what you need to do is to become a consultant for a large corporation making comedy and horror films.
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LOL… I will admit to laughing when I read your first line. 🙂
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I thought of eating utensils… I love how you so casually threw in Sam Raimi, haha.
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