It’s a busy season right now—a combination of my two “sweet little tax deductions,” as one friend calls them, or Curtis (he’s very wonderful) being busier than usual, or work at the middle school, or the chickens . . . Mostly the chickens.
At any rate, even in the busy season, I’ve been writing quietly in the background, and the launch date for Finley Pike 4 is on the calendar (June sometime, I think).
In this hectic season, I’m reminded of an email one of my good friends sent me years ago. Over the years, it has stayed in my mind, and as I ease back into blogging, it’s a good re-entry point.
For the Love of the Game—
Why does a writer continue to work on a story at night, at home, long past the end of the work day? The writer could have been finished already, submitting a competent news story and posting on the website before going home for an early dinner. Lead sentence, a few quotes, a wrap-up, and on to the next project.
For that matter, why do professional writers spend their whole day strapped to the conveyor belt, churning out copy—then return home, only to continue with their personal writing projects?
When Michael Jordan signed his first basketball contract, he discovered that NBA owners had a toxic fear of basketball injuries. So their contracts prohibited skydiving, skiing, and other injury-prone activities—including pick-up basketball games and street ball. But Jordan wouldn’t tolerate this for a minute. He demanded (and got) a permission to play basketball anywhere and everywhere he wanted, a special contract rider under the heading “For the Love of the Game.”
After practice, driving home, he’d stop at random playgrounds and play for the fun of it.
At the end of the day, the people who persist at their craft are the people who love it.