Respect For Actors

At an audition for a large-budget feature film today, where hundreds(though I'm told thousands in total showed up), I retreated to a "Starbucks" for a chilled green tea to wait for my call. Of course, several dozen other audition-ees were present, and we made conversation with one another during the afternoon.
At one point, I mistakenly assumed that a young woman and her husband were there to audition, and remarked on it.
Her husband said "Well, that depends, what's it for?"
He was playful, but I could see the hope in his eyes....and I got similar comments, all afternoon, from folks who either "heard about" the film auditions going on, or wandered up to ask me what I was auditioning for, could they audition, could their child audition, etc.
Famed acting-teacher, actress and writer Uta Hagen was right: there's no "Respect for Acting".
Imagine, kids, an engineer in a lobby area, waiting to see a potential employer, and dozens of folks wandering up, asking if they could "go in" to get hired, too. Except NONE of them has ANY experience as an engineer. Or a musician auditioning for a band, and folks with no experience in music, asking to audition. It would be preposterous.
Really, kids, it's a job. We train, work hard, and study to do this. Really.

My audition felt good. The film concerns a young man's struggle with his identity, and he finds redemption through his poetry and rap music. My love for poetry and for the spoken word has me quite excited about this particular project. I won't know if I am in the call-backs(for you not in "the biz", this means the "finals" from which they will cast the film), for about two weeks, but at least I got to read for the role I really want, and I got asked to stay and read a bit more, and that's always good! I can't say what the role is, but it would be a really meaty role, and one in which I would grow tremendously as an actor.
For now, give respect to everyone for what they do.
Whatever the job is, respect the job, and those who do it.
Peace, kids.