The Writers' Circle

"How long you worked here, Angela." Jason opened a case of canned corn.
	"Two years." Angela pulled the old cans off the shelf and started rotating the stock.
	"How can you stand it?"
	"It's what I do.  Right now I am a clerk at 7-11.  I am obliged to be the best clerk I can."
	"I've been here six months and after the holidays, I'm out of here.  Are you going to work here forever?"
	"No, I'm saving for a trip to New Zeeland."
	"What's in New Zeeland?"
	"A lot of sheep."
	"Me, I'm going into the entertainment business. I want to be an actor." Jason flashed a toothy grin.
	"Are you taking any classes?"
	"Nah, I tried one. It was a bunch of idiots doing some weird shit."
	"Jason, the Harrison Ford, carpenter discovered on the set, story doesn't happen that often.  Robert DeNiro,  Al Pacino, and Dustin Hoffman all put their time in the trenches."
	"No disrespect, Angela.  What would a clerk in a two bit hole like this know about it." 
	"I wasn't always a clerk.  When I was fourteen, I wanted to be a pilot.
	"So what happened?"
	Angela got her purse and showed Jason her license.
	"I'm impressed."
	"I baby sat, worked at Dairy Queen, and Mowed lawns in the summer.  When I wasn't doing that, I read Stick and Rudder, and every book on flying I could find.  At fifteen I was at the airport running errands for the privilege of having the pilots them teach me pre flight checks.  As soon as I finished ground school and could afford the flight instruction, I got my license."
	"You still fly?"
	"Twin engine instrument rating.  As the boys at hanger four used to say: 'You gotta go balls out'."
	"What else have you done?"
	"Whatever the hell I've wanted and I stuck with it until I got it.  Where do you think the Stephen King's, the Thomas Kincaid's, Joe Montana's, would be if they hadn't gone after what they wanted?"
	Getting ready to freeze their asses off in a convenience store in Bent Fork Nebraska?"
	"The light cometh on."
	"Any other sage advice, oh wise one."  Jason bowed.
	"Learn as much as you can, so you don't look like a hick."
	"Are you saying I'm a hick?"
	"No but with a bunch of people who are into wine, or books or fine art, you would be.  Besides, you can have fun.  I'm a movie person.  I like the classics and the new ones. An old guy came in the other day and asks for the time.  I motion for him to come close and whisper: Frank Miller will be getting off the train in about ten minutes.  The guy thought about it, smiled, and said thanks."
	"Who the hell is Frank Miller?"
	"To wit, there was a movie called 'High Noon' with Gary Cooper.  The bad guy, Frank Miller, was due in on the noon train."
	"Wow. You really think that I can be an actor?"
        "Come here." Angela put her arm around Jason and they walked to the sun glasses display and stood by the mirror. "See that good looking kid?  He's a bit of a smart ass at times, but I can fly a plane. You can be an actor."
      "Thanks, Angela.  Do you think we'll be stuck here for long?"
      "Who cares. What's your favorite flick?"
      "Payback. You like Mel Gibson?"
      "I wish I could say I didn't give a Hoot..."