Other people’s words about … signs
[The waitress] leans over our table and turns the sign in the window so that it says CLOSED on the outside. But on our side, perfectly positioned between Mabel’s place and mine, it says OPEN. If this were a short story, it would mean something.
From ‘We Are Not Alone’
by Nina La Cour
I am the kind of person who, like Marin, the narrator in the passage above, can’t help seeing life through symbols and signs: I see metaphorical OPEN and CLOSED signs in my own life every day.
Lately, as some of you know, I’ve been released (at least for now) from the routine of salaried office work. I’m not answerable to an employer any more; I don’t have to be at the office at a particular time, or sign on and off at the beginning and end of my shift, or conform to a certain dress code, or take my lunch hour at a stipulated time for a stipulated duration. All of which implies a certain freedom, the kind of freedom I’ve often craved.
But I do have to hustle. If I want to get work as a freelancer, I have to go out and seek it, something I never had to do as a salaried employee. And in the daily transactions of that hustling — contacting people, letting them know of my existence and of the work I do, following up their responses, thinking of new people to contact and new ways to work — it’s all too easy to see signs everywhere I look. Someone doesn’t answer my email? That’s a CLOSED sign. Someone writes back, saying it’s lovely to hear from me? That’s an OPEN sign.
And so on.
It’s exhausting and exciting, both those things at once, and I don’t know yet where it will take me or what it will lead me to — or whether, ultimately, it will be sustainable. But for now, it’s early days, and I’m giving it a chance, and I still believe there might be some OPEN signs on the path ahead of me …
Signs and symbols: The way forward?
Lately I’ve been reading about …
Meanwhile, as always, I’ve been reading! Here’s the recent digest:
- Were we designed to be lonely? The science of loneliness.
- When it’s okay to write about your marriage (maybe), and how to go about it.
- The pros and cons of working for yourself as an artist.
twenty-one words 
I can testify to this feeling of putting a lot of emphasis on other people’s responses as well! It’s hard to not take everything to a personal level when one’s creative work is for sale. May the paths open in wonderful ways for your new venture.
Thank you, Bespoke. It’s lovely to receive such warm words of encouragement 🙂 xo
Hope it all works out for you in pleasing, new ways. Change is challenging, but can be worth the effort it takes!
I’ve been away visiting family and friends in California, so just now catching up. Between catching a stomach bug and jet lag, I’m slow coming round. It was nice to get away and now spring is coming on, with the warmth melting the snow at last. Now it is your turn to head into the cool season. The seesaw of the seasons!
The seesaw of the seasons — yes, indeed. I do hope you’re recovered from your stomach bug and are enjoying the melting snow, Eliza xo
Yes, thanks!