Alex Lella's Blog

Words of Advice

I have just been asked what advice I would give to the people who come after me.

That's tough, because in my 38 years, I feel like I still haven't worked much out.

Okay, first of all, when you're reading Shakespeare, remember that you aren't supposed to pause at the end of every line. Read the punctuation and pause where you see a period or a comma. This is important advice, if you're hoping to be a Shakespearean actor. Honestly, you don't need to worry about things like the Method or finding your character's objectives. Those things help, but adhering to the rule about not pausing at the end of each line can transform a total amateur into Patrick Stewart.

But even if you don't want to go on the stage, you're better off knowing this, just so that you can appreciate Shakespeare. When I first read a Shakespearean play at the age of ten, I thought it was meaningless, confusing, and boring. Later when I was fourteen and I learned this rule, I tried reading Shakespeare again and while it was still meaningless and confusing, it was no longer boring.

Another bit of advice came from a journalism professor that I had in Undergraduate school. I had told him that I couldn't decide whether to be a teacher or a journalist. He said, "whatever, you decide, it won't be final." He was right. Since graduation, I have been market researcher, a sales rep, a messenger, a phone operator, and an EFL teacher. (but never a journalist) Not one of these things was on my career plan in college, but it got me where I am today.

Since I'm on the subject of advice that my Journalism professors gave, maybe I'll finish with some advice that the other Journalism professor in my Undergraduate school gave me. (SUNY-New Paltz had a very small Journalism program.) Shortly before I graduated, he ran into me and said "Hey, aren't you graduating soon?"

"Yes," I said nervously wondering about what was coming next.

It must have shown on my face, because he said, "Hey, it's not that bad out here."

And in hindsight, he was right.