Networking or buzz?
When I got into town I met with a woman I worked with many years ago, she said “network” as her advice of the day in these times. Almost as if networking replaced plastics – advice Dustin Hoffman had in The Graduate – tonight after a long day that started at 3:30 this morning and a day trip to Los Angeles I just stumbled out the door to get a bite to eat and sat by myself at the sushi bar when a woman came up and sat beside me. In minutes an entourage joined her – they sounded like colleagues, vibrant, optimistic, cocky – reminded me of my colleagues years ago and I thought about life then and now, wistfully. We started talking, she’s a lesbian – go figure – in a relationship for 16 years, black, beautiful, and we talked a little about life, she whispered to me her advice: “healthcare” and I laughed it was “plastics” yet again. Because plastics and healthcare and finance and networking are all buzz words, advice to those people who are looking for just a job – I’ve always sought a life, something more than a buzz word.