This is probably going to sound lame, but one of the very best things about finally being published is that I no longer have to feel dumb about telling people I’m a writer.
Since I am unable to work due to my health issues, the bane of my existence for my entire adult life has been the question, “What do you do?” There have been far too many times that question has brought me to suicidal thoughts, as awful as that is to say. I got to where I avoided any and all situations where I might encounter that question in any form or fashion because it just tore me up so badly.
My partner would always tell me that I should answer that I’m a writer, but I felt silly doing that because there were actually times when I had the courage to say it only to be confronted with something along the lines of, “Oh! What have you written?” Which actually means, “What have you published?”
No one is interested in what you’re writing, just where your writing is. If they aren’t a writer themselves, they don’t truly believe you’re one unless you’ve got credentials. They don’t understand that you actually have to write before anything else can happen, but I digress.
Anyway, now when someone asks me what I do, I don’t have to shrink in fear and contemplate burrowing under the biggest rock I can find. Instead, I can proudly answer, “I’m a writer.”
And that tastes so fucking sweet.
Hey, Roxie Reads 