Beyond The Books

Read to the end and then there's a little surprise...

Writers write.

At least, that's what we've been told.

'You should always have a notebook to jot down ideas so you don't lose them!'

'Remember, writing is a gift! Treasure it!'

'If you're not writing, you're not living up to your dreams.'

Oh, stop it.

Writing is a job. Writing is work. And, frankly, if you do nothing but write, you're going to get stale or go insane very quickly!

And if it's a job – it doesn't pay very well, for most writers. Not enough to live on, at least. Maybe enough to make life a little more comfortable.

So you work another job. Or two. And you squeeze in time to write when the family is sleeping, or watching TV, or out running errands. Or maybe you just say, 'I'm writing, please don't disturb me right now.' (As opposed to 'GO AWAY!')

Still, you're WORKING.

You have to do SOMETHING outside of work, right? A hobby, a cause.

For me, it's been Cub Scouts.

Since my oldest was a Wolf (that's the second year of Cub Scouts, after Tiger Scouts) I've been involved. Den leader – do you know how challenging it can be to ride herd on a pack of seven- and eight-year-old boys? But being the leader can be fun. You plan the activities, you get the parents involved, you help the boys finish them – very, very rewarding.

I've also been Advancements. Huh? It means that, once a month I used to make the trek into the city to the Scout Shop and pick up all the pins and belt loops and badges the boys had earned that month. That wasn't fun. Chasing down the other den leaders, trying to get the order – because the Shop is a good 45 minutes away, it requires two hours to get there, shop and get back, which isn't easy to get on my schedule! - all a royal pain. But seeing the boys' faces when they get their little loops, or the pins, based on what they've done? Priceless.

And I'm committee chair. I lead the parents in the behind-the-scenes planning of the pack, everything from the monthly calendar to the big fundraiser (Do you want to buy some popcorn?) to the big events, Pinewood Derby, Blue & Gold Banquet, Spring Trip.

Six years I've been doing this now. My oldest is a Boy Scout now; but the youngest is now a Wolf. So three more years of Cub Scouts – three more years of watching these kids grow and learn, three more years of saying, 'My boys...', three more years of seeing their faces every Monday night.

Then off to Boy Scouts, where the boys take center stage and the parents get to be in the background.

Ought to be interesting.

But that's what keeps me sane, when work gets too much.

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