In this world and in our society, there are an almost infinite amount of occupations to choose from and more are being created each day. There are careers that are created from technological expansion, cultural evolution and even simple happenstance. Even though the number of jobs might as well be endless, the way to categorize them is not.
Now there are some obvious distinctions such as a doctor being in the medical field, yet there are more overarching categories that everything falls into. One such category is infrastructure, the field that builds and sustains the physicality of our society. Next there is intellectuality, the field that constantly questions and answers things to help us as a race progress. There is of course militarism for holding power and either defending what is yours or taking what is someone else’s. Sociology – the field of occupations that deal with the social composition of our civilizations such as politics and religious aspects. One that most certainly cannot be forgotten in today’s day and age is the class of business and commerce that run on economics in one way or another. Lastly, there is the field of entertainment that soothes the harshness of reality and gives expression to things not physical, such as the arts and sports occupations.
Personally, I have chosen to dedicate myself to the role of an actor given my affinity for it, my personality traits, skills and talent. It has also been a dream of mine since I was little, yet I have things to fall back on. Acting, of course, falls into the category of entertainment and entertainment is what I value above anything else. In other words, I have come to the conclusion that when it comes to my life and existence, I want to enjoy it more than anything so a field in entertainment is what I desire.
Coming to a university and seeing the differences between majors and the social groups related to them, it was easy to see the similarities between the varying subjects and jobs within the same category whatever it may be. A great example of such would be me being a drama kid, and noticing that we are not different from the jocks. One runs around on a stage while another runs around on a field. One is of competitive strategy and the other is of meticulous preparation and execution. Both are entertainment, and in a crude term, both are society’s glorified clown to help entertain the masses.
Being an actor however, is a very interesting and difficult thing to be. Theatrical acting is quite hard when you are under the pressures of performance with memorization and preparation while also dealing with unpredictability and mishappenings. Running on a field is certainly hard physically, and it can become a herculean task to try and outperform and strategize another, yet trying to tell a story live on a stage and all the tasks that come along with it requires far more mental elasticity.
As an actor, one must be able to manifest another personality, and wear another’s face on my own in sometimes very conflicting manners. Having to play multiple roles no less is an incredibly draining and pressing process that takes quite a lot of training, practice and honestly raw talent. However, such a difficulty is what makes it so enthralling to an audience and is why acting is one of the oldest forms of entertainment in all of human history. The intellectual and narrative play is just as old, important and appreciated as those of physical play (sports).
Talking about acting is one thing, but in order to truly appreciate it one must see it in person. Even further, to fully comprehend it as an art form one must be in it themselves. Out of appreciation and respect for the field of theater, may it be on a stage or on a screen. It’s a good idea to explore different areas from sporting events to plays in the theater. College is a perfect time to expand to different areas you might have believed you were never interested in.
