Off the Face...

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Added: Mon. Sep 13, 2010 9:33am
Posted in: Other

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I know, it's been ages since I updated my blog and I apologize. The truth is that I've been busier recently than I ever have been in my life, I think. This is a good thing financially, but socially...wait, what does social mean again? I'm sure I used to know...oh well, it will come to me. 

Basically, I've been doing the same thing I have done for years, writing content for web sites and fodder for content mills. Because the market is ridiculously competitive, they pay isn't really in line with the work, but I do tend to get better paying jobs...first because unlike many writers, I won't work for nothing no matter how desperate I am because it's a vicious circle. It's like working in a sweatshop, you have to work so hard to make ends meet that you never have time to find better paying jobs. Second because people recommend me and jobs come to me. Anyway, I've been putting in long hours to meet some financial needs that include a family vacation and helping my mom with her expenses.

I'm in that middle age squeeze where the kids are still dependent and my parents need help--you know, where I should be at my peak earning potential but because of the economy it's not happening? Actually, I'm not even sure the economy is to blame in my situation. Newspapers are going out of business right and left, leaving an enormous pool of talented writers struggling for jobs, but I think the demise of print has more to do with the changing face of information due to internet access than with the economy itself. Which, in itself, is another catch-22. Without the internet, someone like me might never have found a voice...a way to earn a living using my innate skills and somewhat limited educational background. Because of the internet, traditional reporting has lost its funding, making the competition fierce for higher paying jobs on the internet. So the internet makes it possible for me to make money, but virtually impossible for me to make really good money.

That's life I guess. Some people have all doors open for them. Others just squeeze in through the mail slot as best they can. That's me. Always trying to get through the door of opportunity using the mail slot.