Lionel Hutz Said It Best...

There's the truth... and "the truth".

Those familiar with The Simpsons from the 90's will likely recognize the reference from the episode "Realty Bites", in which Marge becomes a real estate agent. It is in that very episode that I learned a valuable life lesson (who said The Simpsons is not an educational show?).

When describing houses, Marge's view of the truth is very different from Lionel Hutz's view of "the truth".

Marge: That house is awfully small.
Lionel: I would call it, cozy.

Marge: That's dilapidated.
Lionel: Rustic.

Marge: That house is on fire!
Lionel: Motivated seller!

This life lesson that I learned when I was 10 came in handy over the past few weeks. I'm sure many reading this are well aware that CA firms are in the process of herding (or recruiting, however you want to put it) a new batch of fresh grads (or soon-to-be grads) into their cult - I mean, firm. (This reminds me of the Movementarians - The Simpsons seem to make its way into my life more often than not.) It is during this very process that I feel like I've had to tell my own version of "the truth".

The Truth: I worked until midnight and worked both weekend days for 4 weeks in order to meet a deadline. I was on the verge of ramming my head on my desk, or at the very least, I was at risk of falling asleep at my desk and drooling on my keyboard at all times during the day. My family and friends also began questioning my existence.

The "Truth": There were times when I had to put in a little extra time in order to get the work done. It was, however, an amazing experience because I got to know my team very well and I got to learn more than I ever thought possible!

I had an acquaintance (who is considering entering the world of public accounting) recently ask me what my busy season hours were. I said something along the lines of: "The first two weeks on my largest job weren't that bad - we worked until 7 or 8." And based on that alone, he sounded like he had checked out of the conversation and was ready to switch majors. I hesitated telling him that it only got later and later as the weeks went on. If only he knew....