Transit Dialog has published my essay entitled ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ๐บ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต โ๐๐๐ฃ๐โ. Read it here:
โ๐๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐บ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ช๐ด ๐ฆ๐น๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ต ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐น๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฐ ๐ค๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฎ. ๐๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ด๐ค๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ๐ด, ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ช๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ โ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐จโ.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ๐บ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต โ๐๐๐ฃ๐โ
๐๐บ ๐๐ข๐ฎ๐ข๐ฏ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข ๐๐ข๐ช๐ญ ๐๐ถ๐ค๐ข๐ด
I was recently at an event when a colleague approached me to ask if my job as a writer is all there is to me. To be exact, โ๐ ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฃ๐ข ๐จ๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐จ๐ข๐ธ๐ข ๐ฎ๐ฐ?โ was his question.
I replied that I am a published author and a freelance writer with my own website. And yet, this colleague did not seem content with my answer. Was it because I was a woman, and he was a man? Or was it because I was at an event, having the time of my life and enjoying myself without a care in the world?
To be fair, I did not take offense at his question per se, but I found the โ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐จโ part bothersome. I have always been seen through the lens of the overachieving people in my life. I know that I cannot please everyone, especially those whose idea of success is unrealistically limited.
I took advantage of technology to learn how to write and to diversify my career. I made the leap into being a published author during the pandemic, which was a teachable moment in history. I carved out a career for myself, which was vastly different from the expectations and perceptions of society at large. I am not going to change my career path because I am happy as it is.
Of course, I am not closing my doors on opportunities that will come my way. I have built a career on saying yes to opportunities offered to me due to my hard work and preparedness. I think that it is crucial to be prepared for every opportunity, and I believe that while I am lucky enough to do what I love, I also did everything to be ready for this life.
I have worked in the corporate world for many years and learned how to thrive in a competitive and structured environment. This led me to job-craft and upskill, and I am thankful that I did. Now, I write with ease because of my years of training and experience. And I can say that writing is hard work.
There are many skills involved with writing a book; I am enjoying the journey because this is what I really want. I do not think that there is a reason to say โ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐จโ to someone who exercises creativity, measured execution, and discipline on the job. Writing is an honorable profession, and it is my duty to continue educating myself and the people around me that this is a job that merits respect and acceptance.
I am a writer, a published author, and a woman. There is no room for โ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐จโ in my life and career.
It is not just writers who get looked down upon by society. I can only speak for myself, but I have observed many creatives undergo the same treatment. This is especially prevalent during gatherings and reunions. This is the part where I would like to appeal to everyone to stop judging people for what they do. Instead, talk to people about their interests, causes that they support, and the values they uphold.
It is no longer proper to say โ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐จโ to anyone. People are enough with the way they are. There is no other way to say it, and there is no work that will justify the usage of the word โ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐จโ.
I believe that the โ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐จโ mentality reflects on people from another time when there was only one straight path to success. I am glad that todayโs youth is changing how success should look like nowadays.
Not everyone is born to be in the corporate world. Not everyone is cut out to have a professional license. And not everyone is expected to meet the expectations of those who came before them. Life happens. Change happens. In the greater scheme of things, there is no room for โ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐จโ.
When you see me or another writer, you should stop asking if โ๐ธ๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฐโ. Instead, just ask me how I am. I will gladly answer you with a smile.
Source: Transit Dialog