There’s this eatery I like to visit before work within walking distance of the store. It’s nothing special, just a chain restaurant that happens to have power outlets in the seating area, but I like to come here for lunch when I have a late shift and do some writing before I go in. That being said, today is my last day. I’ve been at this store, working minimum wage for 15-20 hours a week, for nearly a year and it’s been . . . something. I took the job just to stabilize myself after not working for a while. See, I’ve had this cycle of working a job for a couple years then getting a wild hair and dropping it to “dedicate” myself to my writing.

“Ah,” I hear you say. “So your wild hair has grown back, has it?”

No. Not this time. On the contrary, the reason I’m leaving is because I picked up a full-time job elsewhere. Yep, a forty-hour-a-week job with a real living wage (hopefully). Now, I don’t mind telling you I was always worried about the implications of working a full time job. I always had this nagging uneasiness in my soul that as soon I started working full time, I’d be locked into something inescapable and unalterable like a river that’s been dammed up. I have dreams. I dream of becoming an accomplished writer with multiple acclaimed books and series under my belt, of marriage and fatherhood with three little girls to call my own, though a surprising number of people tell me that’s a mistake, and a full-time job is the death of dreams, right?

Before I quit my previous job, this was in 2015 for the sake of context, the days when I worked I was getting in three to four hours. When I did quit, I promised myself I’d spend equal time writing, three to four hours a day, but I never stuck to it. I still hold that number in the back of my mind though, hence why I come to this restaurant and write between lunch and my 5:00pm shifts. But things are different now. I’ve probably spent more time writing this year than my combined time when I was unemployed. Why is that? Well first and foremost it’s because I have an outlet, this blog, where I can get the kind of feedback my folks could never provide me. Second, it’s because I like to get out of the house to write, being too distracted at home, but I also like to multitask. I need to have more than one thing to do while I’m out or it just feels like a waste of gasoline. Basically what I’m getting at is this: having a job has made me more inclined to spend my free time writing. I come out, I eat lunch, I write, I go to work and I honestly can’t see that changing all that much in the transition to full-time work. It’s just that, since my new position is overnight, I’ll be writing after dinner or breakfast instead.

So, am I still worried I won’t be able to fulfill my dreams? I mean sure, everyone must be if they haven’t made it yet. But will it be because of my employment status? No, not at all. If anything, this change will give me insight into some of the broader points of the life I’m working toward and who knows, maybe I’ll meet someone special in a new place.

Well I’ll wrap up this entry here. I hope this glimpse into my personal life will help someone out there come to grips with their own worries. And to those readers I met at my old job: Thank you. Your kind and encouraging words were always a boon to me and I hope you’ll continue to keep up with my content. To my coworkers, specifically L.D., S.R. and D.S.: You all deserve better than what you’ve got and I hope you find your way.

In the sincerest way possible,
God Bless.