When I started blogging back in the late 90s, I had nothing to do with my life. At that time, the most responsibility I had was to figure out if my $20 was going to pay for a pair of red sneakers or some black ones. I wrote about stupid stuff - mostly things that made me laugh. Sometimes, I wrote about my relationship situation. But, for the most part, my writing was light-hearted, "for-your-enjoyment" banter. Back then, I had a great time reading other people's blogs. Little did I know that it would become a phenomenon. Unfortunately, I never became a popular blogger. I guess I never really felt like putting in the thought that I believe it takes to truly captivate an audience. If people read, then great, but if they didn't - it was just as well.
During my first year teaching, I used one of my free periods to blog about silly kids, and situations in general. But after a year, I entered into a new potential lifelong career. I began working as a development assistant and then to full time special events planner. The grant-writing portion was difficult at times. I felt it to be a lot of work and then a prayer for a philanthropist to consider granting us some funding. And, if grant monies didn't come in, our salary was in jeopardy. But what was worst of all, was the fact that I had to be to work at 9am and then stay until 8ish on most evenings to listen to a bunch of old elitist men and women talk at me. I couldn't take not getting credit for the funding that I brought in. And finally, I couldn't take the fact that I couldn't blog about it.
By the time I got home, I was generally so tired that I could literally sleep in my work clothes. It was just tremendously stressful. So, I went back to my first love -education. I couldn't be happier (well, I could would a $50,000 raise). I have the greatest co-workers and the greatest Principal. I even like my students. And while there are days that I am dog tired and ready to just fall out on the floor or even sleep in my car, they are worthwhile days. Unfortunately, I find that I still can't blog.
The fact of the matter is that this career pays my bills. When certain bloggers used to take hiatuses, I used to wonder what they had to do why they couldn't keep entertaining us. The fact of the matter is that many bloggers have a career - one that consumes them. Then there are those who are just able to multi task and do both. I look up to those people. It's always crazy when I see their faces or names in other avenues of business and realize that these people, like me, have other things to do in their daily lives. Yes folk, some bloggers really do have real jobs, yet many of them still find time to entertain you.
The point of this whole post is to say this- the next time you want to go off on a blogger for not posting something, think about them commuting an hour and a half to work for 9 am, being there til 8, going home to be with their sig O, finding something to eat in between there, and then sitting down to blog, just so that you can have something to laugh about at your own job. Some of those bloggers don't just have jobs - they have careers.
*this has been a public service announcement*
Amen. Jobs AND lives.
Posted by: Hostess | Saturday, October 04, 2008 at 05:17 PM