Last night Will came home from his school and told me, very proudly, that he had defended my honor to one of his friends.  Curious and a little bit incensed that this friend would even attempt to..dishonor (disparage?)  my honor I asked what had happened.  Apparently this friend was giving Will crap about how even though we are less than financially stable, Will hasn’t made me get a job.  I guess Will responded with “she has a job, she just works from home” and the friend was all “yeah, but I’m talking about a real job.”

I like this friend, he’s usually pretty smart and nice but dude? Eat my shorts.  Seriously.

That kind of thinking is one of the hardest parts about being in freelance.  People assume that all I do is sit around all day surfing blogs, chewing on my hair and gloating over not having to do any “real” work.  For the record?  I’m not spending my days surfing blogs and reading People Magazine’s website (unless I need to for a client).  I don’t watch daytime television.  I don’t lie around reading trashy romance novels.  I am not lazy.  I’m not choosing not to get a real job because this? IS my real job. And honestly? This is probably the hardest job I’ve ever had.  Yes, 90% of it involves spending copious amounts of time on the internet but dudes: I write content and web copy.  What the hell do you expect?

I know how this job looks from the outside.  I’m pretty lucky.  I can work at home in my pajamas.  On days when I do not feel like sitting upright I can lie on the couch with my laptop and still get my stuff done.  I can have whatever background noise I want.  I can leave the house and work from wherever I want (as long as it has WiFi).  If I need a break I can take it.  I don’t have to ask to go to the bathroom and I don’t have to worry about covering my shift if I get sick.

BUT.

If I don’t work I don’t get paid.

I don’t automatically get health insurance even though I put in 40-50 hours a week.

I have to pay for all of my business materials (business cards, printer toner, internet access etc) myself.

I spend almost all day alone with only a cat to talk to and the cat? Is over me already.

How much work I get done depends directly on my ability to focus and how much energy I have.

This is not work I can “phone it in” on or just do the bare minimum to get by.

I don’t get paid for busy work like filing or filling out paperwork.

I can’t spend a whole day avoiding my actual work load and still take home a paycheck at the end of the week.

Oh and did I mention?

If I don’t work I don’t get paid.  I don’t get paid for sitting here.  I only get paid for what I produce and sell.

I love my job but sometimes I get really frustrated by people who just don’t get it and who won’t try.  A few months ago, a got an e-mail from another friend who had come across a part time job opportunity and wanted to let me know “you know, in case you ever feel like actually working for a living.”  The friend meant well, but? Ouch.

This blog post doesn’t really have a point except to vent.  Like a lot of jobs, this is one you won’t understand unless you do it yourself.

And let’s not even start about Will getting crap for not “making” me do something.  Please.  What are we, back in the 50s?  What kind of wacky ideas does this guy have about marriage anyway?