Life happens with or without you. When I struggle to write because the ideas don’t come, it’s how I’m seeing life that needs to change.
In 1985, I got a job at the Allentown Fair. I worked inside a large Pepsi can selling sodas. I stood there for 12 hours a day, three days in a row, and made hundreds of dollars in cash. I used the money to buy Izod and Polo shirts: I did it for status, to fit in with the others at school.
I can’t help making analogies to what I do now for money, and why I do it. I’m re-reading Ray Bradbury’s book, Zen in the Art of Writing, and how he picked his way through the years selling stories to magazines, sometimes only making $800 a year.
It’s impossible to think you can be great at anything if you’re only doing it part-time. Either go into the woods and work your way out, or read about it.
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Categories: inspiration
Bill Pearse 
This was never more true than in the world of blogging!
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AMEN! Love this!
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Well thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. Enjoy the rest of your day! – Bill
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Was Ray the one who said we compare, because we want to relate?
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No, I said that. I’m also reading a book on analogies called “Surfaces and Essences: Analogy as the fuel and fire of thinking.” A heavy book, good for smacking ants.
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I couldn’t even understand the title of your ants-smacking book. I think I’ll go find myself a snack instead.
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It’s the struggle between security and risk. If it were just you, risk might win out, but if you’re like me, others depend on you, so we do what we must and turn our dreams into hobbies. Now I’m depressed. I don’t think I’ll be giving any commencement addresses any time soon.
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You’re killing me. It’s raining and cold here at the dog park. Think I’ll go home and bum out to Neil Young.
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My my, hey hey.
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Shuffle gave me Gordon Lightfoot instead. What could it mean? Don Quixote didn’t trade his dreams into hobbies, and look where it got him: smack dab in a GL tune.
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True enough.
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Dreams can be made hobbies. And hobbies can be made into dreams. Happens all the time, both ways. When you get okay with losing it all, the world is yours for the taking.
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Love that- thanks for sharing, buddy.
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