When I was but a naive, young thing still in acting school, I came down with a long-term, emotionally and physically exhausting illness.  One particularly difficult day, as I was on the verge of tears and really lamenting about how badly I was feeling, one of my very favorite teachers took me aside to impart some words of wisdom, some encouragement, some hope.

“You’ve got to keep working,” he said.  Huh?!  I sniffled.

“I know it’s a hard time,” he said, “But now is when you have to work.  Now is when you show up, and you do your job, and you use every ounce of your strength to get it done.”

WHAT?!  Why wasn’t he telling me to go home and rest my weary body?  Why wasn’t he pouring me chicken soup?  Why wasn’t he picking up the new releases at Blockbuster for me and sending me flowers and telling me I was the greatest actor ever and I was allowed to take as many days off as I needed?!!  Clearly, he didn’t make me any soup.  And, clearly, I never forgot it.
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