in need of translation...

What does this mean?

You have no idea, right?

Yeah, me neither.

And that's a problem.  Especially when what's being said actually matters.  I mean, can you imagine not being able to understand something that was totally crucial to your survival?

(wait a minute, there's a story idea there...)

If you were a person who could 'interpret' or 'translate' that mysterious truth to the person in need you'd have 1) a thing to do with your life that was 'actually' worth something and 2) the ability to charge a premium for your services and 3) a way to build 'platform' or 'notoriety' so that you'd be able to continue doing 1 and 2.

Right?

That's the thing that any 'expert' does.

See, I just got done interviewing a Professor in the History of Evolutionary Biology.  She's expert at explaining the History of Darwin in laymen's terms.  I was interviewing her.  I'm expert at communicating with people, either in-person or from a stage. My Director/DP friend, Chris Stacey, was shooting it. He's an expert with cameras and lights and lenses and visual composition and editing.

All of us do what we do for you.

The 'end user', the 'everyday joe', the 'everyman'.  

And if we forget that, we lose our ability to do what we do for a living.

I'm also an expert preacher (for whatever that's worth, and up for debate in some circles I'm sure) and an expert producer (natch).  I was really challenged today by the frustration my interview guest felt with her inability to 'say' exactly what she 'meant' in a 'manner' that would be 'accessible' to her audience.

She was almost tortured by it.

I was reminded that you need to pick your area of expertise and go with it and trust your 'calling' and ability.  You need to just show up and 'do' what you do.

Don't over-think it.

Also, it occurred to me that 'experts' whose expertise are valuable to a 'mass market' are few and far between.  I mean, you may be an expert roofer, and that's legit and cool but you better make sure you don't have any delusions of grandeur because, even at the highest level, you'll be able to roof, what, 2,000 roofs in your entire life? (one roof per week X 50 weeks per year X a 40 year career).  Even if you have four crews working for you that number only hits 8,000 in your entire career.

By no means 'mass market' type numbers.

But, totally satisfying for a roofer.

Are you a roofer? Or, to the point, is what you do a 'mass market' thing or a 'niche market' thing?  Seems to me that our media system sells you this lie that only people with 'mass market' gifts are contributing to the development of culture.

Not true.

I think if you examine your life, you'll find that most of the impact you have is 'local', or non-mass market in orientation.

What I really hope (for me and for you) is for clarity in terms of what we're supposed to be 'doing' with our lives 'cause it'd suck to spend your life chasing a mass market application for a niche market gifting.

You'd spend your life lost in translation if you did that, and that's no way to live.

T