February 4, 2008 • Print This Post
I’m in Kansas City, doing my other profession. Setting a ballet on the Kansas City Ballet. For two weeks I’ve been working in a dance studio and not at my desk. It’s a little jarring to change hats. To go from spending your day working alone with only the people of your imagination demanding your attention, to thirty some odd dancers, rehearsal people, management and directors all with their own needs and their own jobs to do. Amazing the amount of organization it takes just to get a rehearsal schedule to work; to deal with the injuries, the emotions, the sheer energy of young dancers.
It’s exhilarating and exhausting and I’m beginning to worry that the characters in my current manuscript are getting jealous at being ignored. I wonder if they’re going to make me pay when I get back to them in another week. Maybe they’ll have missed me and be eager to please.
And will I miss all the “real” people I’ve been working with?
I will, but I’ll be glad to get back to writing, too.
Any body else have more than one job? Do you love it or does it make you crazy?
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I used to have a second job until about a year ago. Now I work as a loan officer, but I used to be a teller, and my p/t job was at Barnes & Noble, in the cafe. I enjoyed it, but was around people way too much LOL. I am more introverted and need my alone time. I lasted there about 5 years, and now I love having weekends free for me.
Hi Gemma- that sounds like fun - and a lot of work! I have 2-3 jobs right now (is it a job if you aren’t getting paid?) - and I’m a full time law student, so my days always make me feel a little crazy. My first job is a clerk for a small firm - not bad, but with 5 bosses all lawyers, that in and of itself gets a little crazy. My other job, is teaching 4th-5th graders essentially Supreme Court cases. I try to mix it up some, but there’s only so much you can do with the bill of rights and 9 year olds. My third, is unpaid - and a clerkship with a common pleas judge - this one is more fun because I get to observe trials - but then write judicial orders. Ack. I can’t wait until I graduate… and get to work 80 hour weeks. That is if I can find a job. *cries* Haha.
Wow Stacy. Free weekends. Sounds fantastic.
JSL: Do you ever get confused when talking to the lawyers and eighth graders? And get them mixed up? I can see some really potentially funny scenes with that one.
Gemma, that would be so mortifying. But - actually, you’re not that far off. For my clerking job- an attorney will ask me to find something for them. I’ll rush out and complete the task, leave it with them - and then I’m dashing off to my next job/a class, etc. I’ll come back the next time, ask them if what I gave them is ok. Inevitably, its “no.” They want something more/else. So, after another week and hours later, I go back to them, with the exact same information/telling them the exact same thing. At least my fourth and fifth graders listen to me when I tell them something. (Unless its to be quiet!)
Er- haha, I might need to clarify - it’s not my shoddy work (I hope) - for some reason my bosses are crazy. Apparently its only real if I tell them something twice. Four times has been my max thus far.