Job Doesn’t Work
My idea of a great job would be writing the sayings on valentine heart candy, or coming up with the names for lipstick or paint colors, but I know even that would get boring. I can’t think of anything that I like enough to want to do it over and over, day in and out. ~ From “Muses Like Moonlight”
I have a friend who lives in a hermitage, a hand built structure not that much bigger than my living room. My friend is a musician, artist, writer, and a mystic of sorts, and so it’s understandable that, although he rarely goes out, people like to visit him.
And sometimes one gets “called,” as I was this past winter when he asked me to give him some feedback on a book that he’s writing. Stepping over the threshold into his home is like stepping into another world where time is slowed and everything has more than one meaning. “How are you?” he asked.
“I did the Winter Fest this past weekend and sold some books, but it wore me out,” I answered.
“I know how you feel! I had about 15 people here, in and out, over the weekend,” he responded. I smiled at the thought of it and wondered, is there nowhere to escape chaos?
After catching up, and somewhere in the next 2 hours, the subject of jobs (getting paid to do other people’s work) came up. He told me that when he was young and an adult relative once asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. He felt indignant, as if they were saying he had to “be” something other than himself.
“I know what you mean!” I answered. In an essay in Muses Like Moonlight,” a collection of my poetry, I wrote about my aversion to 9 to 5 jobs: The concept of a job is about as odd as learning as a child that my family had to pay for the land we lived on, pay for the water that the earth gave freely.
And then…I once had a job as a night watchman. I live in a small town and I suppose the company that hired me didn’t think there would be anything too dangerous for a 5’ 1” 115 pound woman to watch out for. I spent a lot of time watching the night sky, the moon and stars. A perfect job for a poet, I thought.
I left him a copy of “Muses Like Moonlight.” He gave me an angel-like ornament for my Christmas tree that he had made out of copper wire and cotton embroidery thread. “It’s a fly boy,” he told me.
I smiled.
April 15th, 2005 3:08 pm
I often wish I didn’t conform so easily. I can blend in with just about anyone or anything. I love people but hate crowds. Make sense? Great story.
Your questions are up. If I got too personal just let me know and I’ll re-write it. Answer as vague or detailed as you like…can’t wait to read them!
April 15th, 2005 8:30 pm
I love the interview questions! I tried posting at your site, but I’m having trouble again and afer the Steven Tyler fiasco, I’m too nervous to repost it. I’ll put up the answers tomorrow!
April 15th, 2005 10:15 pm
Popping by from Michele’s – have a wonderful weekend.
April 15th, 2005 10:35 pm
Hi, Michele sent me! You know, I’m grown up (well, sort of) and still don’t know what I want to do. I always knew I wanted to be a mom, but now that I am I also want a career, and choosing something that I’ll pay money for school, and then do for the rest of my life seems insane and daunting.
April 16th, 2005 8:04 am
I want to do my real work!
I like my money paying job to a degree but I 100% rather I had enough
money so as to grow my real work and not have to do work to support
someone else work. Matter of fact, I wish I had enough money so I could
pay someone to work for me (cleaning the house, doing the yard, cooking,
etc.) so that I could better do my real work. What a crazy world.
I would like to step over the “threshold” as I felt you were implying with
your friend who does his real work and do my real work!
GREAT piece!
July 3rd, 2013 12:19 pm
[…] eyebrow?” Everyone comes to see it. 3. Job as a night watchman? In a clip from past post called Job Doesn’t Work, I wrote…I once had a job as a night watchman. I live in a small town and I suppose the company […]
August 23rd, 2013 10:39 am
[…] was summoned by A’Court in January of 2006 when he wanted some feedback on his handwritten book of poetry, Tiny Shrines. […]
April 17th, 2014 1:52 am
I love what you wrote Colleen. So comforting to have your documentation of precious concepts, musings…. smile.