"You should have been a writer."
"Mom, I am a writer- I write articles for a library reference book and got a short story published."
"No- I mean a *writer*."
"What are you talking about? I write all the time. I've been trying to sell a novel and some of my stories."
"I mean you should be a writer for living."
"I love being a librarian. Besides, weren't you the one who always said that I should get a good job first and 'write on the side'?"
"I never said that."
"Yes, you did."
"No I didn't."
(Yes, she did.)
"You should be writing for television, or writing speeches for the President."
"I don't want to do either of those things. I like what I'm writing now. Besides, do you know how much a television writer makes?"
"How much?"
"Not a lot, I can tell you that."
"How much do you make with *your* writing?"
"Nothing. But I like my life, I like my job, and I like being able to write for both my career and my own pleasure."
Long pause...
"Well, I still think you should have been a writer."
3 comments:
This is very good, Tom. I did not know your mother very well, but I remember that she wanted nothing but the best for her sons. It rings true of just about all mothers. It's concise and funny.
I will be reading more of your blog in the future.
OMG
Outstanding!
To tell you I can relate would be an understatement.
Thanks to both of you! One treads a fine line when writing about family, but the older I get the more I feel capable of capturing the bittersweet along with the humor.
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