In today's increasingly complex world, it's not enough to be good at your job. No, you have to be Meryl Streep good—Oscar-worthy good. The job description may read "bartender," but what it really means is "actor with a flair for mixing cocktails."
Sure, you're paid to sling drinks, but who are we kidding? You're also paid to perform: to pretend you care about Karen's baseball game or Chad's new car, especially when you're swamped with tickets and could care less. It's not that you don't like Karen or Chad; it's that in that moment, acting like you do is just another task on your to-do list.
Picture this: A bustling Saturday night, your hands moving in a blur as you mix, shake, and pour. The ticket printer spits out orders faster than TicketMaster tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. You see Karen walk in. What do you do? You put on your best performance.
"KAREN! How was the baseball game with Evan last night?" you exclaim, as though your very life depended on that piece of information. Bravo, cue the applause.
But let's peel back the curtain. What's happening here is a snowballing societal trend where we're all increasingly forced to "act" in our professions. This trend extends far beyond bartenders and waitstaff. Ever call customer service and get an over-the-top cheery representative? That's acting. Watched a politician give a stirring speech? More acting. Even in professions like journalism or medicine, there's a performative element that didn't exist to this extent in the past.
The culprit? Our good old friend, technology—specifically, social media. In a world where everyone has an audience, maintaining a perfect image has become part and parcel of professional life. A single wrong move, a momentary lapse in your "performance," could end up as an Instagram story or a tweet, viral for all the wrong reasons.
Yet, what does this constant acting do to our authentic selves? It puts them in a box, that's what. One labeled "Do Not Open Until Retirement." And as we seal away our true selves, layer by layer, performance by performance, we must ask: Is this the kind of society we want to live in?
So the next time you raise a glass or write a tweet, remember that in today's world, you're always on stage. But don't forget to save some time for an encore where you can finally, truly, be yourself. Because that’s a performance we all deserve to see.
Curtain down.
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