You would think. You would think after years and years of writing with multiple books out there that someone you have known for a while would not throw this offensive obnoxious rude question at your doorstep. But they do. They throw it there and let you trip over it and deal with the implications of what this person is saying which is simply this: they don't see what you do beyond the numeric value of your checking account. In short, they cant stand the fact you don't hack it out like they do with a nine to five job. And so they throw the question out there like a slap across your right cheek with a very rough glove.
And you are polite. Oh some teaching. Some of this. Some of that. And it is later you think about what a rude inquiry this is. Would you ever think to ask someone, so does your job pay you enough or do you have a job on the side? Or how about, I know you don't make shit at your job so what else do you do? You would never do that. It would never occur to you . But some people are just fricking rude. The person who delivered this bomb was an old friend of my wife who never married and frankly I have no idea what she does or ever did. I could care less.
But at a BBQ she just rolled out her little grenade. And I thought later, what is really behind that question. It is simply that she doesn't view writing as something worthy of discussion. She could have asked how is the writing. How are the books? But she went to something more sinister, something more green, more pea eyed...how do you make money when you don't do what the rest of us do? And I thought later I should have slapped back. I should have said none of your f-ing business or told her I was living off a movie advance. Or I should have just asked her what she does for money?
But of course I didn't. And it doesnt matter if I made a million bucks at writing or a nickel. It is an insult. So the next time..the next time I see Patty....or whoever drops that crass questions of bourgeois philistine concern. They wont do it again, I can assure you.
http://www.billhazelgrove.com/
And you are polite. Oh some teaching. Some of this. Some of that. And it is later you think about what a rude inquiry this is. Would you ever think to ask someone, so does your job pay you enough or do you have a job on the side? Or how about, I know you don't make shit at your job so what else do you do? You would never do that. It would never occur to you . But some people are just fricking rude. The person who delivered this bomb was an old friend of my wife who never married and frankly I have no idea what she does or ever did. I could care less.
But at a BBQ she just rolled out her little grenade. And I thought later, what is really behind that question. It is simply that she doesn't view writing as something worthy of discussion. She could have asked how is the writing. How are the books? But she went to something more sinister, something more green, more pea eyed...how do you make money when you don't do what the rest of us do? And I thought later I should have slapped back. I should have said none of your f-ing business or told her I was living off a movie advance. Or I should have just asked her what she does for money?
But of course I didn't. And it doesnt matter if I made a million bucks at writing or a nickel. It is an insult. So the next time..the next time I see Patty....or whoever drops that crass questions of bourgeois philistine concern. They wont do it again, I can assure you.
http://www.billhazelgrove.com/
