I’m thrilled for you. Jealous as hell but THRILLED for you. To know what you really want to be when you grow up is what we all want. Or at least it’s what I want. Perhaps some day, I hope some day soon.

Good luck you Rider you!

That is just the best damn post I’ve read in a while. From start to finish.

I try not to be jealous of your writing, because jealousy is icky. So I change it to: you INSPIRE me to be a better writer. There, that sounds less depressing.

You can do it Linda. We’re here to support you.

“I’ve spent so many years trying to figure out how to make my career more meaningful to me, and I always thought I needed to take on more responsibilities and have a job with a better title and maybe some people reporting to me and a bigger paycheck in order to feel the measure of success I thought I should be striving for”

This is *such* an easy trap to fall into, especially in a corporate culture where everyone else is always striving to move up and take on more and all of that. I’m glad you were able to see your way out of it and figure out what you really want to be doing.

I’m totally saying go for it, you can do it Linda! I say that because I find you inspiring, and funny, and deep and everything in between. And so does everyone eles. And also? You make me want to do anything and everything I do better.

And that’s no bullshit either.

When I grow up I want to be a photographer. And damnit, I’m going to do just that. Good luck, we’ll be here to support you!

I’ve been following your blog for quite some time now (as in when Riley was still a tiny tot that couldn’t hold his head up) and one thing I’ve found with time is that I’ve always come back. No matter how great the time span was or how busy life seems to get, it’s like catching up with an old friend each time. You’re good at several different things, but at the end of the day what matters most is what you LOVE to do. Life, Marriage, Motherhood and Writing are very vivid passions of yours that directly translate into your words.

You’ve officially named your dreams to pursue, so GO! GO! GO!

Amen sister. Good luck and congrats. You’re are a fierce and wonderful woman!

I finally decided a couple of weeks ago to get out of management and go back to doing what I like best, and I’m a good bit older than you. Good for you for knowing what you want and going for it!

I would buy that poetry book for every mom I know. I LOVE those poems.

Excellent post, in every way.

You be a writer, I’ll be one of your readers, okay?

This makes me disproportionately happy considering that you are not my child. But, I’m sorry, I have to say it: I’m just so damn PROUD of you, Linda.

And I know what you mean about wanting to live outside the whole bigger/better/moremoremore ladder that society thinks should define a successful career path. In my job, the goal is supposed to be to move away from proofreading (that’s intern work) and onto copyediting (amateurs!) and then through developmental editing (suckers) until you’re at the pinnacle: managing editor, telling people what to publish and how and when and why but without ever actually laying a red pencil to a piece of paper to make a difference in how words are experienced by an audience. And then there’s me: give me a red pencil and a stack of paper and I’m happy as a clam. Everyone else can take their titles and responsibilitiees and endless meetings and managerial whatsits (and, unfortunately, higher paychecks) and shove it. I’m an editor. Just let me edit.

I love how there’s a typo in my comment. Where’s my red pencil?! :)

You are a great writer and your keyboard is a kick ass crayon. This made me smile.

Wow, you need to read my latest post to job or not to job and let’s compare notes.

I like to ask kids that question to get ideas about what I want to do when I grow up. It’s the growing up part I still need some work on.

“Not long since, a strolling Indian went to sell baskets at the house of a well-known lawyer in my neighborhood. “Do you wish to buy any baskets?” he asked. “No, we do not want any,” was the reply. “What!” exclaimed the Indian as he went out the gate, “do you mean to starve us?” Having seen his industrious white neighbors so well off — that the lawyer had only to weave arguments, and, by some magic, wealth and standing followed.” Henry David Thoreau

Hey Linda,

I’m so glad you have been lucky enough to figure out what you want to be when you grow up! I hope I can be that lucky one day too. Your point about more responsibility being interpreted as success really resonated with me.

You should pursue your writing dreams. Through reading your blog over the past few years, I feel like I’ve shared special moments with your family. Your writing really puts the reader in the moment. You inspired me to blog, and share one of my own personal moments on my blog: http://thentherewasbel.blogspot.com/2009/06/deceiving-appearances.html

Anyway, I hope you continue to reach for your new goal.

Bel

You’re the real deal. Just stay away from Burnt Sienna in the crayola box. I never liked that one.

Yeah! I agree with Emily on the jealousy front — I still haven’t figured out what I want to be when I grow up, and it’s not for lack of noodling and dissecting what in my work makes me happy. Go you!

Linda, in the world of blogs, you have stood out to me time and again as a different sort of writer-an actual writer, not just a blogger. I will follow you and read whatever you’re writing.

Wow, what a great post! And I’m not just saying that because this post was all about writing, but hot damn! I really enjoyed that.

I love it when talent and desire converge together in one person. Not only is it amazing that you desire to do what you are gifted with but you are also aware of it. I admit that I am envious that you have insight into yourself to know what “it” is that you want to do for the rest of your life. Regardless, Congratulations!

just so you know, I truly get excited when I click on your webpage and see a new title to a post I haven’t read yet… that says a lot about you as a writer and a story teller. I think you have tremendous talent – don’t every doubt yourself.

Yeh!!! I’m so happy for you!

I was hoping you were getting there, getting closer to realizing what I see as your passion (outside of your family of course). From the outside looking in, to me anyway, I thought it was obvious. I could understand how you were in Marketing because it is a creative outlet, and that could make you happy on the surface but I just knew that if you were to throw yourself into writing you’d be there, in that place of satisfaction that makes your sole content.

Best of luck getting there and I’ll pre-order anything you publish!

I know what you mean when you say you want to be a writer – I know you have lots of writerly goals – your book of poetry, your book, and I’m sure other future projects, some of which you haven’t even thought of yet. And I think there is a wonderful, rewarding future as a writer lying ahead for you. I join the vast numbers of people who believe in you!

But I always just wanted to say that one huge reason why I know you can be a writer? Is because you already are.

I think you’ve summed up exactly how I feel. I thought it was most important to move up quickly and have a title and be in management but now I’m so far away from what I ever wanted to be.
I love the conversation with Riley. Good luck finding that crayon!

I heard a commedian once (I don’t recall who it was) that said that the reason adults were always asking kids what they wanted to be when they grew up was because they were still looking for ideas themselves.

(And now I sort of want to drive a rocket. Or write about driving a rocket, one of the two.)

I commend you for accidentally saying something that lit a path for you – and I hope it takes you somewhere even better than where you thought you wanted to end up. Your blog is one of my favorites on this wide world web, and I can’t wait to find out where else you’re able to put your writing talents to use.

I’m making peace with my own career path. Kind of the opposite of you – I never wanted to have a high-level title or cornerstone office, and i never wanted to be that person who carries around a work cell phone or company laptop or make out-of-town business trips and so on and so on. And then Luke and I started having babies, and he paused his career to be with them while I became the sole breadwinner, and it gave me an extra oomph to be more competitive at the office. I still don’t want to rise above middle management, at least not for a long, long time, and like you, my favorite thing to do is just write and let other people take care of the branding stuff. But that’s not possible right now, so I multitask as best I can and hope our department eventually expands enough to allow my job to become more focused.

Good on you for figuring all of this out now!

You are a brilliant and amazing writer, and I look forward to every new thing you post. I am constantly relating your comments to friends and family.
Also? Great photographer!
I am extremely “INSPIRED” to figure out in my 39th year what it is I want to be when I grow up but alas don’t expect to have that crystaline moment any time soon….2 year molar inspired sleep deprivation isn’t helping.

Thank you for this! As soon as I can find a working printer (that isn’t a doorstop/extra shelf/non-XP-compatible piece of crap) I want to print it and tape it by my computer so it can remind me of why I love writing when I get down on myself. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

You are a writer, one of my absolute favorites, as you have been two thousand and [cough]. You just keep getting better and better, and I know you can write about anything you want, which is one of your many gifts I have always envied and admired.

You always seem to inspire me in some way, whether it is in my role as a mom, career or fitness. Thanks!

Maybe you could be like that guy in the smart phone commercial who uses the bus to write words? I think you still need to bring your own crayon, though. I wish I could get the words in my head to come out, coherently, onto paper (or the internet, as it were) but my brain likes to juggle the words and I don’t want to admit I need ADD meds at my age plus I’d have to see a shrink to get them and I’m not that crazy.

Yet.

Nice work bookending this post with the Riley conversation. Go for it with the publishing. I only wish I had the impetus to get my work out there but I know for certain you have the talent to do it.

Here’s hoping that you find that really good crayon. Wonderful post. Good luck!

You ARE a writer! And a damn fine one at that. I don’t comment as often as I should, but I very much enjoy your storytelling voice. Keep it up!

I totally hear ya. I’m also in the ‘branding’ business and there was a time when I wanted to be the big wig, but the more I look at it, I just want people to tell me what they want and for me to give it to them and have them like it. That’s what I’m good at, I don’t like coming up with concepts, but if someone gets me started on something I can usually run with it.
Great post Linda, as always!

Your post sounds so familiar–I was in MarCom for a corporation, too, and had the same epiphany. It took several months to prepare to take the leap, and I left to write full time about a year ago.

My former employer, by the way, is one of my biggest clients. Only I work a fraction of the hours for several times as much money.

It took about a year to get business stabilized, and I just recently started poetry workshops with my former professor. My days are a mix of corporate writing that pays for the work I love a bit more (art reviews, essays, poetry, eventually a BOOK). Even having a fraction of creative writing formally in my life again–with people counting on me to show up and read and demonstrate progress–makes such a big difference in work/life satisfaction.

I want to say “go for it” but it sounds like you already are starting to, whether you realize it or not. :)

Ah, a Jerry McGuire moment!

I was encouraged yesterday to apply for the job that I always thought that I wanted that is currently open and available to me. I decided not to. I love what I’m doing now and just can’t mess with a good thing just for a better retirement plan.

Man, I kind of want to be like *you* when I grow up.

I have been in banking for 15 years now and it’s not what I want to be when I grow up. I love the customers, I love my coworkers but the work itself sometimes is less than rewarding.
I an envious of your NO.

Great post – and being a writer is obviously the perfect choice for you! Children see things so clearly sometimes.

I AM envious. (apparently I am not a detail person!)

I am with you about the not wanting to be the boss. I work as a paralegal, and a couple of the lawyers I worked for (and my parents, of course) have asked me when I’m going to go to law school already, because I’m plenty smart enough to be a lawyer, according to them. I realized a while ago that I really prefer administrative support work. It’s so much less abstract, and you have fewer decisions to make that affect the lives and happiness of other people. I may not make six figures a year, but I’ll be able to leave work at work and go home to what I really love.

Check out elance.com if you are looking for freelance work. Good luck, you’ve obviously got the chops to make it…

DUDE. I don’t want to be management, I could not give one shit about moving “up” — I just want to get raises for continuing to do the work I do! I write, I edit — why must I stop doing those things — the things at which I’m talented, the things I love — to get more money? There ARE people who desire to be the boss, and would be much better at it than I would. LET THEM.

PS: Anne: it’s Paula Poundstone. I quoted her in my HS graduation speech. (Class of 1992 represent!)

I just want to know if the phrase “sex pillow” is part of your SEO strategy?

Srsly, good job figuring out what you want professionally, it’s a great start towards getting there. Saying “no” to a managerial path can feel counter-intuitive in this “ladders” culture, but if it’s not for you, it’s not for you.

And I hear you on wanting meaningful work that connects you to readers. One thing I’ve made my goal for this year is to bring in non-profit sector work (I mainly do corporate & marketing) with companies I believe are doing good in the world.

How you do not have a book (or three) published already is beyond me.

Run with it.

Your post gave me goosebumps. Thank you for sharing this.

My husband is a copywriter and he is the kind of person who loves his job so much, that he does it even for free. He comes home from work mostly with a happy smile on his face, and he also gets so enthralled in what he is doing, that he doesn’t notice that 5 hours have gone by. You can do it too.

Linda -I read your blog almost daily because frankly I think you’re the bomb. I like the way you view the world around you and love your sense of humor. I agree with Anglea’s comment and can’t believe how you haven’t already published stuff – you’re an amazing writer! Anyway, congrats on finding some professional perspective – God knows I need a good dose myself!

Most of the time I want to cry when I read your posts, they are so real and genuine

Go for it! People here love your writing; there’s no reason to believe that a larger audience would do anything but love your writing too =)

This is slightly unrelated, but I wanted to say a hearty “thank you” to those of you who don’t want to climb to the top of the corporate ladder- I thought I was the only one, and it made me feel ambition-less. Turns out, I’m just happiest doing my own experiments, not directing the experiments of others (I work for a pharma company).

And Linda, good on ya, and good luck!