As I scribe this composition, I am sporting comfortable shorts, an old t-shirt and flip-flops. I will be heading towards the pool in a matter of hours with my teen son, daughter and five of her friends in tow. My job, or this gig, allows me the freedom to do this, to be present and available to my kids, while many of my peers are not as fortunate. They are slaving away indoors, while I have the freedom to come and go from my home, wear what I want, and work on a flexible schedule (most of the time).
In that respect, this gig is pretty sweet! I can’t complain. Of course, you didn’t want to read about how great writing is as you know that already. Let’s get to the rant. Before delving into the meat of my composition today, I do want to briefly go over my background so you know where I am coming from as a coworker and fellow wordsmith.
My Background
I began my writing career with a company that shall remain nameless here. It starts with a “T” and many of you also dredged away hours of your lives, desperately trying to please seemingly nonsensical editors there to move up and garner a tiny bit more pay. This quote from Star Wars probably describes it best, “You’ll never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.” Thankfully, I have upgraded my career since then, thanks in large part to WriterAccess. How I heard about WriterAccess, I can’t even remember, but I applied and prayed for the best. I was approved some five years ago and have never looked back.
Now, On to My Rant
I entitled this piece, “Yes, I am still doing that writing gig” for a reason. You see it is frequently assumed by my friends and family that because I work from home, my choice of employment is somehow less important than a job where one would travel from home and work in an office or other setting. My husband’s grandmother who is a kind, sweet, lady asked me innocently the last time we were together, “so, are you still doing that writing thing?” after I explained that I had a deadline I needed to meet that would prevent me from doing some task that was asked of me.
Why This Bugs Me
As a fellow writer, you too have probably heard this question more times than you care to count. You likely also have had to justify your need to remain at home to finish an order or project. Let’s face it, when you work from home, for yourself or on your own schedule, you simply don’t get the respect you deserve. I will say that it seems the older the individual, the less respect they have for my occupational choice. That might be because as a general rule, they avoid computers, don’t understand content marketing and think of writing only in terms of newspapers and/or books. Therefore, how could I possibly stay home, write and not have anything (such as a book) to show for it? In their eyes, it simply doesn’t compute. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule when older people embrace modern technology and understand it better than some young people. However, in my life, the people who seem to “disrespect” or misunderstand my career choice are the ones who are a bit more advanced in years.
Would They Ask My Husband That Question?
Back to the question, “so, are you still doing that writing thing?” First, some info that will help this point make sense. My husband is a project manager for an architecture firm. He works long hours in an office and makes good money. He is the primary breadwinner for our household. I am thankful for his hard work and in no way am I trying to disparage his gallant efforts. However, for the sake of comparison, how crazy would it be for his grandmother to ask him, “so, are you still doing that project manager thing?” It would seem absurd. Of course, he is still doing the project manager thing! That’s how we pay bills, how we make ends meet. It isn’t a hobby or something he does for kicks and giggles (I know the real quote, I am trying to be nice people).
Why does my job, which also brings in money that we use to pay for things like my car, the kids’ extracurricular activities and basically anything that’s extra not also qualify as a job? It isn’t a hobby. I do enjoy writing, but the content I create for clients is not something I am doing “for fun.” Therefore, it should be placed in the same category as any other job that people do to pay bills and keep their kids fed. Of course, you might say, “perhaps, your husband’s grandmother was just making conversation” and that might be true. I have been known to overreact. However, for the sake of this rant, let me have this, okay?
At Home Jobs Are on the Rise
Okay, rant over. I feel better. I hope you do too. You should know by the way that according to CNN Money, the traditional office job is rapidly expanding beyond the cubicle. Telecommuting workers have increased 115% in a decade and some 3.9million workers are now working from home at least part of the time. This means we aren’t alone! We who proudly wear shorts or pj’s and don’t bother applying makeup, who work while chaos caused by kids ensues, all while making money at home are here to stay! I couldn’t be prouder to answer “Yes, I am still doing that writing gig.” I hope you are too. Happy writing fellow slayers!
Brandie P‘s career as a freelance writer spans several years and encompasses an abundance of niche specialties. Before beginning her writing career, she was an office manager and worked in the medical field. Her experience in these two fields have come in handy when writing topics pertaining to these fields.
