I Am Not A Real Guard

Would you never admit you had a job as a... Background Dancer, Tango Dancer (both 0 votes), Cage Dancer (2 votes) or Dancing Banana (3 votes)? Would you tell only after numerous drinks that you were a... Waiter (0 vote), Birthday Present Messenger
(1 vote), Dishwasher (1 vote), or Security Guard (1 vote)?

See, I have a theory. That in a work environment where co-workers are rather critical about low rated jobs, one easier says something outrageous, like ´I worked as a Dancing Banana´, than admitting one worked as a Cleaner or Security Guard.

One of the reasons I wanted to see the tv-series Strike Back is the journey the main character, soldier John Porter makes. It is not uncommon for ex-soldiers, if they don´t make it through the ranks due to post-dramatic stress disorders, to ´end up´ homeless with alcohol problems. Or that those soldiers, if they´re more lucky, find employment in security-type jobs.

In one of my Strike Back posts I said that I´ve read the book in advance. Therefore I was eagerly awaiting my DVD to see how John Porter´s downfall and his out-of-the-gutter crawling was given hands and feet in the tv-series. 

Book and tv-series show John Porter´s mistake he made in combat action. Then, for the next seven years, in the book, John Porter is portrayed as a wrecked homeless drunk. Whereas in the tv-series he gets a job offer as a Security Guard, which he angrily accepts. Meanwhile he keeps fit to stay at hand and graps every snippet of news linked to his downfall. As well as in the book as in the tv-series he succeeds in claiming his primary work and work environment back.

I never looked down on individuals with demeaning jobs. Persons are in flux, due to their circumstances. People don´t always have a careerbus passing by, a chance to catch it, or see it. And once the precious careerbus is boarded, more than once the previous hardship is easily forgotten.

So, even without today´s knowledge, I treasure the moment I had with an uniformed guard in London, possibly Friday night, January 26th, 1996. He said: ´I´m not a real guard. Go to my colleague over there. He´s the real guard.´

Mocking him? Certainly not.

Screencaps: RichardArmitageNet