Saturday, November 19, 2005

Literary Head-Up-My-Ass

So, have you ever felt like this? I mean, wondered if you made the right choices?

Maybe because we're nearing the end of the year. Maybe because I have a birthday coming up. But my head is going places it shouldn't be. My head is telling me I should have done more, owned more, learned more.

Then, today, I met several people who made "right" moves: went to good schools, recieved advanced degrees, got well paying jobs. After some conversation, I discovered that what they REALLY
want to do is publish a novel or write a book of poems. They have jobs which demands 60-70 hours a week, time that sucks away any energy for writing.

What are they going to do? They're quiting their jobs and are starting from scratch. A good number of them are my age or older, much older.

Suddenly, I realized I'd had my head up my ass. I made the right choices and they were good choices. I'm on a path that many people envy. After meeting these people, I became grateful, very, very grateful.

2 comments:

Paul Bens, Author of "Kelland" said...

I sooooo understand this feeling. I felt it a couple years ago. Swore I'd always be a writer, but worked 70-80 hours a week instead. Then I read this book by someone who was doing what I always wanted to do...and it was a great book and it inspired me to actually write. It finally made me go, "OK, Paul, time to getup off your ass and do what you said you always wanted to."

I'd tell ya the name of the book, but you already know it very well considering you wrote it. =-)

fred said...

A matter of the "Road Not Taken"--or maybe the "Grass is Always Greener..." All we can do is follow our gut--and not be afraid if it seems to take us down an unconventional path--and hope for the best. If not, well, hopefully it's not too late to try again. Better that than going to our grave, wondering...