Are You Willing to Pay the Price? Behind the Glamourous Curtain

Leslie Ungar

Are You Willing to Pay the Price? Behind the Glamourous Curtain

Most people want the corner office, what used to be the country club membership, and the expense account. But are we willing to pay the price?

Recently I had the opportunity to be a guest on a morning talk/news show. I had to get up at 4 am to be at the downtown studio at 7. Those who work on the show both on and off the air, have to wake up that early every day.

Even with the surprise snow storm we still arrived early. So we were able to watch the news and the weather segments. The weather people stood in front of a green screen and motioned to geographic areas not on the screen from inside the studio but with the magic of the green screen we at home don’t know that.

The traffic person pulled the same bunny from the magical green screen. The traffic person stood in front of a blank screen and motioned. On air for 60 seconds, wait around, on air, wait around.

They say a movie set is much the same. Very boring except for when you the actor are performing in a scene. But it looks glamourous at home.

My first roommate became a stewardess. She had to memorize the abbreviation for every airport in the U.S. and abroad. She had to learn how to serve while walking backwards down a narrow aisle in heels. Back then she also had to endure the dreaded once a week weigh-in.

All of these professions may seem glamourous. We all may want to be on TV or be famous or fly around the world. Do we want to pay the price? Do we want to get up at 4 am every day, or endure months away from home on a movie set, or sit on a jump seat for hours on end?

Whether your trip is to the White House or White Castle, are you willing to pay the price?