I don’t know if I mentioned this, but I quit teaching. The term has started without me.
I am now officially freelance and a hired gun. I now write stuff for a living.
Meeester is worried about me working from home. He thinks I’ll get lonely.
“You’ll miss the adulation of your students,” he claims.
I got many things out of teaching and I don’t recall adulation being one of them.
But the man has a point. I’ve started a new job and yet…I’m here at home doing the vast majority of the work. Alone with a dog and three cats, who lovely as they are , don’t have much chat. I’ve gone from being hoarse at the end of the day from talking, to looking up from my keyboard at the clock, and realising that it’s four hours since I’ve spoken to anyone human.
But…I quite like it.
But what if one day I don’t.
What if I start phoning up sex chat lines for the conversation ("no love, never mind about that, how are you?")…or indulge in some lunchtime tippling with the farmers at the local boozer…or go to coffee mornings at the church for the wicked chat…or start inviting the postie in for a chinwag…or move my desk out into the front garden just so I can news with passers by….or God forbid, start having coffee with the oil widow mums at the school? Aaarrrghhh!
What if I forget how to banter…?
Nah, it’ll never happen.
7 comments:
"Oil widow mums." I've never heard that phrase before in my life, but it just sums up the granite city so well.
Never mind, you've still got us.
I thought you liked those moments of silence. Its not like it happens all day, not with junior misssy around.
I hadn't heard of oil widow mums either but then that's probably because I've never been anywhere near Aberdeen. Might also have something to do with working on my own for 9 years, often I am lucky if I see one client during that week. Especially if I have money due to come my way, then I really am lucky if I see anyone at all.
You could do what I do:
1. talk to self
2. have imaginery conversations with movie stars
3. have imaginery conversations with people you'd like to give piece of your mind to - that's especially satisfying because they don't get opportunity to answer you back and disrupt your flow
I think the learning population will miss you. But the writing one will embrace you. The best of luck with freelancing.
Farty: I tell you, they are everywhere- too much cash, too many kids and not enough to do (or talk about). I have avoided their clutches despite being invited to umpteen Virgin Vie, Anne Summers and Candle Magic parties. No, I don't know either.
Scotsman: I think it can be done, and I think I'll be fine. Working without interruption is a new thing for me, and it's great. There's always an office to pop into if I feel I need some human contact, but you're right I like silence.
Memsahib: The imaginary conversation thing sounds a good 'un. I walked past a woman who was doing that in the supermarket the other day to herself. But I'm guessing that's not quite what you mean!
Oooh, welcome to my world! My advice is to keep the fridge and biscuit jar empty..they can become too good friends!
But forgetting to speak can happen as anybody who calls me at around 2 in the afternoon can attest to. Sometimes my tongue and vocal chords just don't quite remember how to connect with my brain.
Sometimes I go to a coffee shop and work from there, just to hear voices around me - and it's strangely comforting!
I think what every town needs is a freelance centre. Somewhere to go when we're wanting to work, but not necessarily in the house that we also spend evenings and weekends in.
Anyway, any downside, can be totally erased by the fact that office politics just doesn't affect us. Yeehaaah!
As for oil widow mums, I think that The Hood is a warm, non-granite version of Aberdeen...
Insteadi- Oh yes, the advantages outweigh this very small niggle. Working from home was the deciding factor in going freelance in the first place. Plus the coffee is better at home, than from a college canteen.
Good for you Misssy!
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