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Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Alternative Career Path? Here's Your Apron!


I am not just a mother. I adore my children, but they do not define me.

A couple days ago I wrote to a friend in the publishing industry about where a fledgeling writer with as little experience as I have might find a good jumping point. I'm not delusional- if he had to tell me "Sorry kid, come back when you've got some experience," or "Maybe when you've been through a bit more school." I was perfectly prepared to not take it personaly. After several days of radio silence, I knew the answer wasn't good, but nothing could have prepared me for what he told me.
Try a mommy blog. 
Now, let's be fair. He was thinking job/money/I've-got-two-little-kids. What's more, there are thousands of excellent blogs by stay-at-home-moms writing about their idealic forays in domesticity. That's exactly my point. I'm not like that nor can I be like that!  I'd just as soon crack open a can of Spaghetti-Os for my picky little tyrants as work for three hours on a meal they won't touch even though I snuck the vegetables in so they can't see. I don't have instagram(yet); half of my photos are stock!  I spend as much time on housework as I do on anything else and it's still no where near ever done, so I try to devote at least 1/4 of my cleaning time to tricks, corner-cutting, and scheming to avoid said housework. I adore my children and my devotion to them is absolute, but they are separate people only strengthening in independence, while I will still be green in my prime when they're legal adults.
Probably something to do with knitting, where you've got cred. 
Yes, I am a knitter. Yes, I've designed. Yes, I'm not bad. I'm also not spectacular. Knitting blogs are the number one topic in blogging. And what's more- I'm going to say it- a lot are boooooooring. What else can you expect from numbers so high? Anyway, how would I ever expect to gain experience as a writer - professionally- in that kind of environment? I'm not even super crafty! And most importantly:
There's more to my life than being a stay-at-home-mom! I do have other interests! 
Maybe it's that I've been being a mommy for five years instead of gaining experience through networking that would traditionally start with school. Maybe it's that he doesn't know me as well as I thought he did. Maybe our culture is infected to the marrow with male chauvanism. Or maybe I just need to get a job till next semester.

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