We all work hard. Fact is, we all work hard, and for many of us, that work brings a very obvious reward: a biweekly paycheck one can cash and turn into magical things like pet food, movie tickets, new shoes, and tuition.
I don't get that biweekly paycheck. My paychecks are arrhythmic, and sometimes, I feel like I'm going to code right there on the table, lights flashing, interns huddled around, cardiologist poised with those paddles you see on Grey's Anatomy. When I sell an article, the money does come, eventually. The lines on the monitor squiggle and peak, the machine beeps, and my career doesn't flatline. Not this time, at least.
This is all hyperbole, as you know, because I certainly don't live hand to mouth. Far from it. But I do tend to measure my self-worth based on those checks, and when they don't roll in on predictable waves, that can be emotionally tough.
So learning that I was just named a finalist for an IACP New Media Award for Best Culinary Blog for this little site is a huge freaking deal for me. It's another reminder that I do this work not for the riches, but for the love of the craft, and that that's okay. It's legitimate.
And today, at least, it's enough.
