There's Got to Be a Better Way

Remember that corporate gig I mentioned, oh, 9 weeks ago? The one I was worried might push me over the edge? Yeah, well, it's still going on and the edge is well within my view. 

I think my problem is that I've become incapable of putting up with the manufactured chaos that goes with corporate America. I mean, it's one thing if I'm only dealing with people over email now and then, but it's quite another to have to make personal appearances and numerous phone calls and act as if the chaos is not only real, but totally acceptable. 

You're all insane! runs through my mind on a constant loop anytime I have to enter the corporate campus. This same mantra comes to me when forced to sit through conference calls that mostly entail talking about how gosh darn busy everyone is. So busy that they can't be on time to meetings or sometimes even schedule meetings...meetings that they insist on having before anything can proceed. 

I know that because I am a freelancer who stays home with her kids people assume I lounge around eating bon-bons all day and should therefore be available at a moment's notice, but I'm actually probably busier with actual things than the average corporate automaton. The big difference is that I don't have to participate in group think before I am able to accomplish a task. I just go out and do it. And I don't even have to have a meeting after I've done it to talk about what I did! 

It's amazing how efficient you can be when you don't waste so much time talking about how to be efficient. 

Resentful? Just a little. I try to keep my hostility under wraps by reminding myself how lucky I am that I only have to spend a few hours a week in this world vs. my whole week, or worse, my entire career...still, I need to work harder on finding a way to make a living that does not include the Borg. Or at least, a lot less of it. 

Which brings me to my exciting news! I'm taking a class in travel writing. It's probably the most obvious career choice for me given that I'm a writer obsessed with travel...and yet I've always put off trying to get into it, telling myself it's too competitive and very few people really get paid to travel, anyway. (This is especially silly given that I was a music reviewer, which is arguably more competitive and harder to break into.) I still have those doubts, but I'm jumping in anyway. 

I have a bad habit of quitting things when I get overwhelmed, so I'm making a public vow that I won't quit this. It's only 8 weeks and I'm told I'll come out with actual pieces I could pitch to magazines...wish me luck.