I WALKED THROUGH THE WRONG DOOR

on recognising mistakes

The other day, I was having a Pinterest procrastinate which I just looove to do (and would highly recommend).
Couldn’t be easier, you just scroll through inspirational quotes and colour schemes for the cafe you one day dream of owning, until your real life feels far enough away that you don’t need to worry about any of it. Aah.

Halfway down the page, I scrolled past this enlightening little nugget.

‘It’s better to admit you walked through the wrong door, than spend your whole life in the wrong room.’

Waaaaahhw.

It felt particularly apt at the moment, as I contemplate walking away from my acting career.
I say career. Can we call a couple of McDonalds adverts and a car insurance Voiceover a career, I’m not quite sure.

I have always been a performer, first by nature and later by trade.
I would put on shows when I was little, spend the day rehearsing in the living room, then, when the show was ready, I would yell ‘MUM, DAAAAAD,’ emerge from behind the sofa and subject my audience to an hour of songs and costume changes and dance routines.
By contrast, when performing became my actual proper job, I would spend the day rehearsing in the living room, then when the show was ready, I would yell ‘I’M DOING A SHOW’ on social media, emerge from the wings and subject my audience to an hour of songs and costume changes and dance routines.

The acting never really happened in the way I thought it would.
It’s not that I didn't enjoy playing ‘woman on train’ or ‘woman in park’ or even ‘woman in queue’ but I had hoped I would, at some point, be given a roll I could really sink my teeth into, a role that (dare I say) had more than two lines.