I’m home alone until Saturday night - Ben is in Las Vegas all week covering a fight. I thought it would be especially hard this time around since I would usually be at work every day interacting with friends and getting out of the house. I thought that this week I would basically be in solitary confinement for me, while at the same time, I would be getting picture messages from Ben of his overflowing buffet plates and of him posing with Hooters girls.
Instead, though, I seemed to have found a sure-fire cure for loneliness: extreme stress.
In my deep fear of not having enough freelance work to keep me busy and pay the bills, I got myself into a mountain of work. And if you don’t think it’s confusing to spend an hour writing about dry cleaning methods and the next writing about 18-wheeler spinal cord injury settlements and the next hour writing about auriculotherapy (look it up - I know I had to), then you would be wrong.
I thought I might spend the week wistfully sighing and conjuring images of our post-wedding winter cabin, complete with crackling logs and wine and snow falling silently outside. And no deadlines. Instead, though, I’m spending every single second worrying about how the hell one writes a joint venture business plan.
It’s a weird feeling - I constantly feel like I’m back in high school and about to take a test I haven’t studied for. The feeling of all of your brain cells lining up and preparing to bullshit to the fullest extent of their ability. Have I ever written about the herbal treatment protocol for smoking cessation? Of course I have! I’m a living, breathing copywriter, aren’t I? I can’t even watch TV or call my friends - I’m just constantly thinking on how I can possibly pull these things off and save my ass.
Don’t get me wrong, though. I’m enjoying the crap out of my new job. Sure, I might be a bit stressed and more than a little over my head, but on the other hand I’m doing stuff I love, I’m actually getting to make my own decisions and think and voice my opinions, and I wore a wifebeater without a bra all day.
I’ll tell you one thing, though: if stress is cure for loneliness, could a takeout chicken parmesan sandwich and a beer be a cure for stress?
There’s only one way to find out.
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February 27, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Mark
If you can so easily(?) get so much work that you’re stressed out about it… couldn’t you raise your rates? Hrm…
February 28, 2008 at 12:58 pm
emily
I do the same thing to myself at least twice a month. I’m a “yes” person, as in, I have a hard time saying “no” to easy money/freelance offers. But don’t be afraid to every once in a while ask if you have some extra time for that deadline. I’ve found people usually ask for stuff a little earlier than they actually need it, and as long as you give them quality work, they’ll accept it a few hours or a day late if you explain that you’re juggling a full plate.
February 28, 2008 at 3:07 pm
the mother hen
The cure for the stress is seeing your nice fat bank account for all the hard work you just did.
February 29, 2008 at 1:34 pm
April
I hope that you’re just busy and that your cure for loneliness didn’t give you salmonella poisoning. Then we’ll have to find the cure for the cure for loneliness and that sounds like a real hassle.
February 29, 2008 at 1:49 pm
Liana
You can DO it! And enjoy the yummy dinner you have planned.
March 1, 2008 at 10:57 pm
Bernie Hayden
1. Regarding writing. I’ve always found that researching unknown subjects is the hardest part of the job. I hate research, although the Net has made it a lot easier than it used to be.
2. Regarding stress. Sue Grafton says that a sandwich on white bread with mayonnaise is nature’s Prozac. And she makes a good living by writing. Mashed potatoes with butter also works. And ice cream.