Ran some errands the other day and saw one of my brother’s childhood friends out and about. He saw me and we did the customary exchange of pleasantries and he asked what I was doing now. I told him I was writing blog posts of different types for clients and he got a sort of glazed over look in his eyes.

I have noticed this look come across the face of a few people that I’ve told I write to make money. It is as though they can’t wrap their minds around that concept and I am watching them try to work it out in real time. I think in the future I will just tell them that it’s no different than any other kind of work you do with your hands that is creative. I’m not sure that will help, they’ll still probably see me as some asshole who makes money sitting on a couch (currently).

There is also always a little bit of astonishment to that last fact, and the fact that the person understands I could be doing this from anywhere on the planet that has the internet. It still stops old-schoolers in their tracks when you say it though, it’s the kind of thing that is the death of all forward progress in the conversation. If you want to move along with your damn day, it requires at least a little elaboration if not a full on accounting.

It’s times like those I want to just say that what I do for my dollars isn’t who I am, it’s an interesting part of me, but it’s one small facet. Unless someone steers the conversation that way I tend to avoid it because I also find it to be the least interesting part about everyone else.

Work is the only thing for some people, though, and they all have my sympathy.