“…the life I’ve always wanted, I guess I’ll never have.

I’ll be working for somebody else until I’m in my grave.

I’ll be dreaming of a life of ease and mountains oh mountains of things…”

–Mountains O’ Things

Tracy Chapman

I love Tracy Chapman. Her words cut through the bullshit and strike right at the heart of things. This particular song reminds me to be thankful for the things I do have, things money can’t buy.

It’s not always easy. I spend a lot of time and energy worrying about money and the future. (Hello, three daughters=three college educations and three weddings not to mention cars, insurance, proms, braces, glasses, etc.) I try really hard to just be happy that my children have a roof over their heads and food in their tummies. That’s a lot more than many people have. But always in the back of my mind is this tiny worry about how I’m going to pay for the next expense that comes up.

Do you think we as a society have always worried this much about the future? I mean, my husband and I talk regularly about the children’s college educations, and the oldest is only going into 5th grade! The baby is only starting kindergarten!!!

When I first started writing, I thought once I got published, my financial woes would be over.

HA!

Not to be crude, but I know more authors who aren’t making buckets of money than are. In fact, most authors I know aren’t making enough to live off of.

Is this going to stop me from writing? Hell no. I didn’t go into teaching for the money, I’m certainly not giving up writing because of a lack of it either.

I don’t need mountains of things. But boy, it’d be nice to have the option to turn them down. . .