The Job, Dating, & Writing.

This week I will be writing about a more personal subject matter than I think I ever have yet. The title says it all. Here is the big dilemma that I, on occasion, struggle with….when I have a girlfriend, or go on a date or two.

My passion is writing, and I have very recently decided to try and treat it more like a business than a hobby of mine. This is where my dilemma begins. I have a full-time job which takes the majority of my time throughout the week, leaving me with only evenings and weekends to work on my fiction. Additionally, there is Sunday morning, Monday night, and Wednesday evening church. This leaves me Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday night, along with a full day Saturday. On the two weeknights I usually get to Panera Bread around 5-6 and stay until 8-9, so it really isn’t that long to accomplish all that I need to. Most Friday nights I have been going to Panera Bread as well, but still, I get a few hours. Sundays I often go home to eat (occasionally I will go out to eat with friends which eats up the day) and then I go to Panera Bread. Saturday is usually the day that I get the most done, as I usually get to Panera Bread by 10 and stay until 5 or so. Sometimes I will return after getting fast food, or stay for a while longer and eat there, usually, though I take my Saturday nights to chill. The whole full-time job is a big hindrance to my writing goals, but that isn’t the only thing that keeps me from writing.

Another distraction to writing is dating. Now I am definitely not complaining about finding a love interest or potential love interest at all. It sure would be nice to be able to find a wife; I will continue to go on dates…..when…..I find someone who is interested in me…..and should I be blessed with a long-term relationship, then I will go on many, many dates and focus a lot of my spare time on said person I date, with ABSOLUTELY NO COMPLAINTS. That being said, dating is a big distraction from my passion for writing. When I am into someone, I tend to want to spend a lot of time with them, thus taking away from my writing. This is not a big deal, though.

So, why am I writing this post about dating and work? Well, it is just something I think about sometimes; that my job and dating keeps me from writing as much. I don’t have much of a dating issue right now, but it happens on occasion. So, I think often that it is more beneficial (in regards to my writing) just to stay single, that way I can focus on my passion – a passion that I believe God has called me to focus on even more than I am right now. If I am not dating anyone, then I can spend the majority of my free time at Panera Bread writing. I wouldn’t get distracted with hanging out with that girl I like so much instead of writing my fiction. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for dating…..and hopefully finding a wife….but I am just saying it is a distraction, just like my job. Both keep me from my passion…one more than the other, and one I would not complain at all about having. I’m sure you might be able to figure that one out.

As for work, it is my goal to be able to go part-time in my teaching job and work full time on my writing. As for dating, well, that is a welcome distraction, and though it would be most beneficial for my goals in writing to NOT EVER DATE AGAIN, I probably will try dating some more….if there comes along a girl who digs me like I would dig her. If not…well….that’s okay too.

So basically, time is what is taken away from my writing when I am hindered by work and distracted by that significant other – no complaints on the latter. Balancing the three, work, dating, and writing is a challenging task….especially in the dating realm for someone like me….I am that kind of personality that wants to spend as much time with my significant other as possible….and these are the struggles I face in my writing goals. Not that they are anything different than many who have a strong passion for something that isn’t their job.

The last thing before I go, I will be posting once a week from now on on Saturdays.