If You Are a Writer... Write!

Monday, July 6, 2009

25 Questions - 17

25 questions from an interview found in the back of Vanity Fair while I was getting a pedicure. I invite anyone to answer with me these questions, here as a comment or on your own blog and leave me a link/note.

Question #17 ~


What is your favorite occupation?

Merriam says -
Main Entry: oc·cu·pa·tion
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English occupacioun, from Anglo-French occupaciun, from Latin occupation-, occupatio, from occupare
Date: 14th century
1 a: an activity in which one engages b: the principal business of one's life : vocation2 a: the possession, use, or settlement of land : occupancy b: the holding of an office or position3 a: the act or process of taking possession of a place or area : seizure b: the holding and control of an area by a foreign military force c: the military force occupying a country or the policies carried out by it.

So, by the first definition I would say my favorite occupation is writing. Well, not technically true all the time, sometimes it really stinks, is hard pushing toward impossible. Other times, I can write a single sentence that makes my heart leap for joy and occasionally a poem or a short story feels so good going from brain to fingers to paper that it is wonderful.

Now as far as the principal business of one's life definition... for the past 16 years I have been a bookkeeper. I never meant to be a bookkeeper, it just sort of happened to me... like catching a virus. But I seem to do it decently, and they keep paying me to do it. But as for favorite it is a bit like saying your only cousin is your favorite cousin even though that cousin is the one who gave you wedgies as a kid, or tattled on you. They are your favorite only because you have no other choice.

I took possession of my house 12 years ago. It is small, and often a bit messy, the kitchen needs updating, and the upstairs bathroom sometimes has issues, but it is mine, the payment for my taking possession is reasonable and it is home.

Hmmm... by military force... oh, wait, once in fourth grade the girls stormed the boys' tree fort and for one glorious day we were conquerors. Then they took it back the next day.

2 comments:

Jessica said...

I completely understand falling into an occupation. I fell into insurance and have already been here six years, which is a bit scary to me. I kept listening to other older women who are agents, talk about the dreams they forgot once they fell into insurance and now I'm fighting to get out.

I must admit it's hard though and I may never. The work is easy and the pay is good. It's hard to walk away from that.

H said...

A while ago I was made redundent and as well as the comfy pile of money to cushion the fall there were also people on hand to provide career advice... analyse what drove you in your life and work.

What I came to realise with them is that my occupation is solving things... it just so happens I've been doing that in computing for < ahem > years , but I'd be happy doing it in any field of work.

Once things are fixed, I lose interest totally and need to move on... I am bored when its all working and the jobs finished - I dont feel valued, I dont feel engaged, I dont like turning the handle.

If only I had the nerve to take that skill and ditch computing!