For about three years now I’ve been working for the postal service. For almost as long as that I’ve been doing some freelance writing projects here and there, one of which is a standing gig as a ’staff writer’ for a local business to business magazine. And of course, since July I’ve been serving as a part time pastor under appointment.
The freelance gig has been fun but it may be time to stop. I don’t want to lay it down but lately I’ve been thinking that something’s got to give. It will either be one of my three sources of income or my sanity.
Two things happened this week to get me thinking about this. First, one of the other rural carriers expressed surprise (it was more like shock, actually) that I have no interest in bidding on a permanent route assignment. Our senior sub was suspended in November and I don’t think he will be back. This changes everything. The time when I would be in a position to bid on an open route could come very soon. I don’t want to take one but I might have limited options. Taking a regular route (thought it wouldn’t be a full size route) would increase my hours spent working the mail, resulting in a corresponding decrease in available hours for the freelancing thing.
The other event was Christmas. As has been the case every year, I received a number of books as gifts. Each of these were books that I have been looking forward to receiving, especially Neal Stephenson’s latest, Anathem. As I opened successive gifts from my family on Christmas Day I realized that I had not started and completed reading a book since late 2007.
This realization caused me far more distress than the postal possibilities. Can a life without books be properly considered a life? I don’t know for sure but I’m leaning toward ‘no.’ I simply don’t have the time right now, and haven’t throughout this year, to devote to the reading of a novel or any book length narrative, fiction or non. The endless parade of writing deadlines, accompanied by the new weekly requirement of a sermon, have completely eliminated my reading life. Shoot, I barely read your blogs anymore!
This, more than anything else about my life right now, needs to change and I intend to make that change a reality even if it requires the forfeiting of a paycheck (albeit the smallest paycheck of the three I regularly receive).
Therefore, be it resolved: I will read books in 2009.
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December 27, 2008 at 10:07 pm
beth
I support the reading of books. And blogs.
But I was curious…did you mean a year other than 2008 in your sentence “I had not started and completed reading a book since late 2008.” ? Cause…isn’t it currently late 2008?
Still…I’ve been wondering where you were and figuring you were just busy. It’s good to know that was a correct assumption.
December 28, 2008 at 6:01 am
Jim
Hah! Yes, I meant 2007. It’s been corrected now.
January 5, 2009 at 1:59 pm
narrowly avoiding work « serotoninrain
[...] The schedule at the PO didn’t have my name on it, I finished the second of my latest articles last night, and I had no church related obligations today, so I was looking forward to a day to start working on my only resolution. [...]
January 19, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Marissa Miller
I’d like to get into freelance writing but I haven’t written a published article since 2005!
January 19, 2009 at 8:10 pm
Jim
seriously? I thought you had a regular gig?
January 19, 2009 at 9:55 pm
Marissa Miller
As a proofreader. I’d like a regular gig as a writer. I need to get over my laziness and start sending queries. That’s the tough part for me. Any advice you could give would be greatly appreciated.