Shoot the Freak

An article in last week's New York Magazine reminded me of a conversation I recently had.

I was at the pottery studio and shared the news with an old friend that I'm in the middle of a career transition. There was a gentleman throwing on the wheel next to me. I’d seen him a few times before, but mostly I recognized his voice, which sounds frighteningly like Eugene Levy. He chimed in with the fact that in his 57 years he’s now had more than four careers and presently he is off to southern Utah to act as the COO of the Best Friends Animal Shelter.

A few moments and a platter later, the Levy doppelganger offered some advice to me.

ELI (Eugene Levy Impersonator): “You want a bizarre job?”
Me: “yah, sure” I welcome any potential interesting ideas as I'm looking to discover my next adventure and his own career turn caught my intrigue and respect.
ELI: “You ever been down to Coney Island?”
Oh, god, where could this be going? This is not about a job rescuing animals from disasters.
ELI: “You know the sideshow?”
Me: “You mean the freak show”
ELI: “There’s this group of young people down there doing all sorts of things. And they'll give you lessons. You could learn how to be a sword-swallower or how to breathe fire.”
Me: Trying to stay open-minded, “I once had a friend run off and join the circus as a clown.”
ELI: “Whoa. Those people are professional, I’m not talking about them. You should check out this group down on Coney Island.”

Some suggestions, like the Coney Island Freak Show performer, will never make my short list, barring any unforeseen future physical anomalies - Lobster Girl, Bearded Lady, Elephant Man, and apparently were that to happen it'd be parallel to holding an upper management position in the corporate world, these 'natural borns' are the top of the freak show totem poll.