Work Life

Work Life
By John R. Greenwood

My work life is my bread and butter. My writing life is my strawberry shortcake. I love both. They both fill me. Dessert is just a little bit sweeter. The attached photo is a snapshot of a recent training session at work. I am fortunate to be surrounded by talented, hardworking coworkers. I try hard to keep work and writing separate but it is hard when what you do for a living plays such an integral part in your life. Lately I have been trying to mix and match the two. When you depend on two things for survival it's crucial to keep them both well fed. My job responsibilities run 24/7 and that's okay. I know what I signed up for. I look around and realize how fortunate I am to have a good job. I am even luckier to have really nice people who show up every day and join me. I don't have to choose between writing and working. If I did, work would win because I like to eat and be warm. Writing keeps my heart and soul full but it doesn't do much for the refrigerator. As most people do, I often wonder, "What if?" What if I had become an author or a teacher, an artist or a park ranger? Would my life be better, happier, more fulfilling? I can honestly say that I don't think it would be. Life is as good as you make it. You are as happy as you want to be. I have everything I need. It isn't that you cease striving for more. To me that's the healthy part. My goal in life is to keep a goal in life. That goal for me is to keep absorbing, writing, sharing, working. 
The grey atop my head keeps drawing that, "So, you must be ready to retire?" comment. No, I'm not ready and I won't be ready tomorrow. 
I say, "They are going to have to drag me out kicking and screaming!" and for the record, I mean it.