Sometimes I think I’m doing this for all the wrong reasons. I can’t honestly say that I love to write, in fact, sometimes I hate it. Finding the right word, the right sentence structure, does this need a comma or a semi-colon, will people understand what I’m trying to say, and who are these people? Indeed, will anyone ever read this? I don’t think there’s a writer out there who doesn’t mean for their thoughts to be read by others, what would be the point? But even if your words are enjoyed by millions, let’s talk about that paycheck. Can I quit my day job and retire on a million Facebook likes? Doubtful. I’d like to say that I write because I have to, that I just can’t help myself, and while that might be true to an extent, most of the time I write because I have big dreams and high expectations.
I don’t have a family to raise or a ladder to climb. I will never enjoy grandchildren or become CEO of the company I’ve spent my life working for, but I retain hope. I’ve managed to cling to my childhood dreams (minus the one about becoming a rock star), and still fantasize about becoming an accomplished writer. I’m not after fame, but a little fortune would be nice, just enough for me to buy a plot of land in the mountains somewhere or maybe in the Texas hill country. Grow my own food, convince my loved-ones to follow, live off-grid and write books, that’s it, that’s the dream. I’m sure many industry professionals would balk at this. “You write because you have to,” they say, “because it’s in your blood.” Well I say to them, I write because I always have and it’s my best shot at success in life. I write because I dream of a better future for myself.
The Apple and the birdcage 