Well, not AND gotten paid for it, like Kristin.

Thank you, Kristin, for this blog post, which so succinctly explains why, after five years as a freelancer, I just can’t take it anymore. I must admit, I surfed her blog with more than a little envy, and some other emotion I refuse to call regret. That is the life I probably would have led, if I had not embarked on the Mommy Road when I was so young.

I love the life I have now, wouldn’t change a thing, no way. But I can long, just a little, for far off places.

Most people close to me know that I long for the chance to break into the world of kid lit - specifically, that I want to write for middle graders and young adults. I belong to the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), which automatically grants me membership in the Michigan chapter, informally known as MichKidson the listserv.

In all their gracious wisdom, the Writers of the Bylaws determined that you did not have to be published in this genre to join, and this affords me the chance to learn from my peers, and those who have already travelled the path my feet itch to tread. In honor of what it takes to succeed in this capricious industry in the ebb and flow of a dicey economy, words of wisdom from our 30th president, Calvin Coolidge:

Press On…

Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.

Talent will not;

nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.

Genius will not;

unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.

Education will not;

the world is full of educated derelicts.

Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

As my great Aunt A used to say, you have to “keep on keepin’ on.” And I intend to.