Breaking Glass.

It's hard, at times, to not be gloomy about the state of the world. And, to be picayune about it, the state of our industry. 

Some of that, I think, has to do with my naturally lugubrious nature. I often see the glass well-less than half full. And a future bereft of hope.

Truth be told, many times I don't see a glass at all.

It's not unusual to feel that the world has lost its bearings. Where the rich steal from the poor yet the poor vote for them. Where disinformation reigns. And truth is merely a social network owned by a swindler.

As Brecht wrote in Mother Courage before the rise of another reign of terror, "Peace is a waste of equipment." As Arthur Miller wrote in his great but unknown poem, "Lines from California," 

"When a man admits failure he becomes a pedestrian.
Brotherhood is when two men have the same mother.
Sacrifice is a car sold at a ridiculous price.
Society is when people listen to classical music;
or a Savings & Loan.
Law is order, Justice a decent return on money.
Progress is anything turning on and off by itself."

This week has been a busy one. I've had a few creative presentations. And four separate pitches for new clients. Though I don't do spec work for these pitches and they're usually over in about an hour, very little is harder than having these conversations. In fact, they remind me a bit of my recent cataract surgeries.

The surgeries took only five minutes and involved no real pain and only a modicum of discomfort, but all the same, they were draining and, yes, eviscerating.

On top of all that, an old friend called me yesterday from Paris. We had worked together when I worked in San Francisco over two decades ago. I immediately sensed her brilliance (I'll call her S, for anonymity's sake) and at S's behest I contacted--back in 2004--an ECD I knew in Paris who promptly hired S.

Since then, S has fairly set the ad world on fire. It's not very often that I'd consider putting myself in a subordinate position to another ad person, but I'd work for S in two shakes of a lamb's tail. 

In any event, S texted me out of the blue. I know when I get a text like hers, there's a problem. This wasn't a social call, I knew, this was a friend in need call.

I get a lot of these.

A lot of tears wet my shoulders.

My therapist of four decades yells at me for taking such calls. "You need to preserve yourself," he tells me. And he's right. What's more, there are times I need, too. And there isn't a for me.

But back to S.

S, you have to love who you are.

S, you do the work you have to do to do work that makes a difference.

S, believe in S.

S, keep on keeping on.

I don't care how corny this is.

You are your garden.
You are your rake and hoe.
You are your fertile ground.
Get to work.

Inch by inch, row by row
Gonna make this garden grow
All it takes is a rake and a hoe
And a piece of fertile ground

Go, S, go.