Breaking Cover, Episode 1
What does it mean, to “do what you love”? Today, I found out.
It happens that, as part of my undercover assignment, I’m in San Francisco. I’ve been here for a few weeks now in stealth mode. I haven’t talked, thought, smelled, or practically even read webcomics in at least three weeks.
Why? I’m that committed to the job.
Plus, Ferocious J hates me, so all my potential local contacts are in hiding (that man rules this town).
Today, I’m staggering out of some bar and all of a sudden I understand completely what it is to live or die for your work. As I step out the door, I glance up hill and I see a tiny woman pushing a cart that is at least twice her size.
Up Hill.
Up Hill In San Francisco.
And it’s not just any cart. It’s an ART cart. She’s a sidewalk caricaturist going home after what must be a looooonnnnnng day at Fisherman’s Wharf pimping her soul for the tourists.
Why? Because she thinks it’s fun? You’ve got to be kidding me. Because she’s that committed to her job? HELL No.
She is pushing this huge, heavy piece of wooden furniture up some of the steepest and longest hills in the entire Nation so she can PAY THE RENT by making art.
And what are you doing? Sitting around at home after a long “hard” day on the job as a “Systems Administrator” in some fashionably hick town like Nashua New Hampshire, and bitching that you aren’t “using your degree”? Spewing forth idiotic whinging (and I mean that in the Australian sense) on your blog about how some asshole on the Internet doesn’t like your work?
Or are you pushing a cart TWICE your size up the worst hill of your life?
My cart is three times my size, but invisible and driven by fairies.
Fairies and booze.
By Nic on 03.23.06 11:44 pm
I think I ask the most important question when I ask, “What kind of booze?”
By Matt Buchwald on 03.24.06 7:55 am
The wonderful girl who draws Combustible Orange is a caricature artist at Busch Gardens. She has to wear a COSTUME as well (and the amusement park takes a bunch of her money).
Now, myself on the other hand…
By Frank Gibson on 03.24.06 8:23 am
Matt – did you completely fail to click on the link I made to “some bar”?
By Jeff Lowrey on 03.24.06 4:49 pm
I believe he was talking to me, you Cadbury!
By Nic on 03.25.06 11:15 pm
If you aren’t getting your fairies drunk on Irish Coffee, you’re doing something wrong, my little pate ‘choux.
By Jeff Lowrey on 03.26.06 9:48 am
[…] So it’s been a couple weeks since Jeff was able to break radio silence; Tuesday’s been pretty busy, as well. And as much as I enjoy blathering on here, Fleen’s really set up to provide more than one viewpoint. So if you’re opinionated about webcomics, today is your lucky day. […]
By Fleen » In Search Of … Writers on 04.10.06 5:44 pm
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