When I start something, I simply can’t accept “just because” as a reason for starting it. Always, I need to understand the “why” of an effort. Otherwise, I can’t act in accordance with the core reason for doing anything.
For example, I want to monetize my blog, and while that statement defines the “what” of the desire, I need to understand the why underneath my monetization desires. Sure, making money at something I love to do would be great. Isn’t that what the book says to do? But that’s not enough. I’m sure many folks would love to make money from smoking pot and watching cartoons all day.
For me, though, I love writing about new research and treatment modes to fight addiction. I love to write about the systemic ways the idiots at Cityhall are destroying our culture and community. Mostly though, I love writing about things that I find angering or interesting. I love finding a new eating spot or exposing an issue that we all have to face.
The problem is that I don’t always have the time or freedom to write what I want to write. The day to day crap I face interferes with my writing and slows the proverbial flow to a trickle. Plus, because I suck so bad at politics, I spend a ton of my time simply avoiding land-mines that could get me fired. With all that dancing and dodging, time escapes me and before I’m even aware of it, a month goes by and I haven’t even written one stupid word.
So, I want my blog to earn income so that I can write what I want to write without worrying about losing my gig. My wife and I need to eat, as we all do, and my day job allows us to to that. But I have so many bees buzzing in my head that I need to release. I’m too old to waste any more time. I need the day job, but my legs are getting to weak to dance anymore.
