Master Superheroes at Work
A View of the World of Writing
Dark. Distressing. Demoralizing.
Work is often seen as the dungeon of despair that people are forced into each day, merely to survive. And it has actually been that dungeon in the past. But today, that dungeon exists mostly in one’s mind.
Even though work today is still often mental, as well as physical, turmoil.
Especially in the world of grunt workers. The world where people actually do hard, physical labor. But, the world wouldn’t exist without them.
For everything in existence eventually ends up as someone’s hard work. Ends up with someone putting in the effort to ‘make it happen.’
In the Beginning …
Yet it all … everything that does exist today … started as someone’s dream. It all started as someone’s desire that resulted in effort and action manifested. It all exists because someone dreamed about it.
Someone dreamed and then worked hard for their dream. Because the dream that was in someone’s mind, heart, and soul was taken seriously. The dream was labeled as being significant. As being important. As being worthy of putting in the time and effort to be realized.
For Martin Luther King, Jr. wasn’t the first to say, “I have a dream.” People have had dreams ever since the cave men set out to conquer the sabretooth tigers.
People have dreamed of living a better life ever since Alexander the Great stepped forth on his venture to conquer the world.
People have dreamed of superhuman feats ever since Wilber and Orville Wright created the first ‘flying machine.’
The Real Fight
And they all went to work to fulfill their dreams. They worked hard and they fought hard. They fought like tigers to overcome their fears and anxieties, as well as the physical obstacles that were in their paths.
They battled their emotional demons as well as the demons of disaster and danger on their way towards their work of making their dream come true.
And their biggest threat was often their own loss of determination to see things through. Their own lack of persistence to continue on their journey. So, they had to fight hard with themselves to overcome their lack of tenacity.
They had to learn to become a master of themselves, as well as a master of their craft.
And such mastery takes its toll on a human being. It often leaves you feeling drained. Empty. And alone.
Thus, that sense of being alone, and totally responsible for any results, responsible for all outcomes, is a tremendous burden. It is a burden that many are feeling today. Simply because they dared venture out in a pandemic world.
Holding on Tight
For they dared dream of becoming successful instead of settling for ‘just a job.’
And I am one of those dreamers. I dream of becoming a wealthy wordsmith, a writer who earns her living by working at the job of helping other writers. Encouraging writers (as well as entrepreneurs) who are in hot pursuit of their dream to ‘hold on tight’ to that dream.
For I know what it’s like to become so disillusioned and frustrated simply because what you do never seems to be good enough.
Simply because who you are never seems to be enough.
Simply because what you want never seems to go your way.
And the advice of many is to ‘get a real job.’ And many do. Many give up their dreams and settle for a life of being in that dungeon. And, settling for that dark, murky place of discontent and depression, they toe that line.
And just as many struggle to hang on to the thread of their dreams. Praying that thread won’t break. Praying for some ‘big break’ in the form of a high paying gig or a well-heeled client. Or even a prestigious job offer in their specific niche.
The Sea Of Suspense
So, I’m in the same ship most people are in. The ship where you hang onto your dream simply because you know that your dream is who you really are. And who you were meant to be.
You hang onto that dream because you know that without that dream you would be nothing. You believe you would lose your very soul if you lost that dream.
So, everything you are and ever will be rides on that dream. Rides on everything you do. Rides on everything you are working for.
That’s why you work so hard. Why you put in all that effort. Why you do what you think could and should pay off in the end.
So, as a writer, I ride the wild sea of suspense and uncertainty. I often stay up all night, working the midnight to dawn shift, as well as the dawn to mid-afternoon shift. I put thousands of words on the screen.
And if I’m not doing that, I’m editing. Or even just studying. Doing anything I think will help me become that master of my craft.
Continually working until I can’t see straight anymore. Working until I can’t keep my eyes open anymore … until I fall into a deep sleep. And I wake up not knowing what time it is. Just knowing if it’s day because the sun is still up.
And I’m like everyone else. Always hoping and praying. Always crossing my fingers and my toes. Always looking up towards the heaven for any sign of rain.
And I’m glad when it doesn’t rain on the days of the publishing parades. And just as glad that it does rain on idea-seeding days. But rain or shine, I know I have to work … unless a miracle happens and I hit it big.
Or I get so frazzled that I need a break. And I settle for distraction in the form of solitaire.
Always Returning to the Sea
But always returning to the sea of struggle, the sea of endless words. The sea where superheroes fight the waves of despair and overcome the tides of human frustration.
For superheroes always return to their job of conquering the world’s problems just as a writer always returns to her writing. Simply because they can’t seem to get it out of their heads that’s what they were born to do.
And writing is this superkat’s MEOW … simply because mastery is earning the opportunity to write. Earning the opportunity to work. And mysteriously becoming ecstatic with optimism because of the opportunities in writing.
So, when I discover such lucrative opportunities such as this, the word work means work on regardless of kryptonite. Become Superman’s side kick. Become superwoman, the woman who can conquer the world (alongside of Superman, of course.)
For all of us super-heroes in the world of writing are working together to make this world a better place.
A place where everyone gets the opportunity to shine, to show off their skills. To show the world their work is worth its weight in gold. Because everyone who desires to become a master at any craft deserves the chance to be rewarded for all the hard work they put into mastering those skills.
For a world without master superheroes is a world of only grunt workers, those who have given up their dreams and settled for less than they deserve. And no one really wants to live in a world like that.