“Don’t think of it as you’re fired…”

Last night on HBO’s new comedy series “How to Make it in America”  the main character Ben was fired from his retail gig. The show follows Ben ,the designer, and his friend Cam, the brains, as they try to launch a denim line in New York City. The two of them are in their twenties and doing none of this things they saw themselves doing as kids. So this line is the manifestation of their dream and they are putting all their money and effort into it. Sound familiar?

In the meantime in-between time, Ben works at Barney’s to pay the bills. On last nights episode, Ben has a tight deadline to get 300 vintage t-shirts to a wholesaler in Tokyo and he cant track down enough shirts; if he can succeed it will be their big break.  He ends up telling his manager that he needs to run out for an hour to handle some personal business so he can hunt down the shirts. His dick head manager gives him shit about it but he takes off anyway, only to get fired upon his return. As he was being terminated his manager says “Don’t think of it as you’re fired… think of it as you’re free”.

While I have been pursuing my design career I’ve been working at Bloomingdale’s (also for a dick head manager). This past weekend I didn’t feel like going into work because I am working on a few pieces and one of the pieces is for someone who needs it by Friday. I didn’t go in and my manager called to let me know she’s not really feeling me right now. Today I am going to in to work and try to break it down to my manager. There is a great chance that I am going to be fired… but if that so happens to be the case I have to look at it as sweet freedom. There may be broke days ahead but so what? Can you put a price on freedom? And if you could…it surely isn’t $14 an hour with 1% commission.

Catch How to Make it in America on HBO on Sunday nights at 10pm.