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Sometimes You Have to White-Knuckle Your Writing Life
Because real life will always get in the way.
There’s nothing like a $5,000 dental bill to make you feel like a failure.
The things I once afforded as a marketing executive are now luxuries, but I have to remind myself this is the life I chose. To abandon a career determined to wrench me of every breath. To realize, far too late in life, marketers don’t promote products that solve problems — they manufacture problems where none exist. And they’ll smooth your hair, spoon-feeding you solutions. Picture the life you’ll have for the low, low cost of $19.95. Endorsed by celebrities and TikTok influencers alike! You trust them, don’t you? You want a better life, don’t you?
No, I’d rather live a life not screaming into pillows. To no longer work for people who believe not going viral is the equivalent of a death sentence and every problem is cause for defibrillation.
When given the choice, would you rather make the money and suffer or not make the money and suffer? What you’re left comparing is the degree of suffering and how much you’re willing to bear. I traded in the lies, chest pains, panic attacks, and full-body rashes for a life where I have to choose between dental work and the rent.
