Last night a fellow for whom I do a little programming work virtually begged me to spend more time on his project. It's a project on which we've been working for years. He'd really like to get it done. The guy had a few stacks of $100 bills in his briefcase. I am not making this up. It was a few thousand dollars. "Isn't there anything I can do to motivate you to do this?" he asked.
"Well," I said, sighing and wishing I didn't have to be in the uncomfortable discussion, "I have to be honest with you: The money is not really important to me. I'm just hanging in here until June for your sake, to help you out. What could motivate me? What could excite me? The only thing I can think of that I really, really, really want in life is to stop doing side work like this." It was a cruel shot to his hopes, but it was more deeply honest than anything I have said in a while, and it was cathartic. It was also funny, and even he was able to laugh at it as his heart sank.
I don't want to be cruel, I just want to be free. I can be made to feel obligated for a season, but I cannot be bought. I'm a paid volunteer, not an indentured servant.
Hello, friends. How are you today?
Love.
P. S. - Here are a couple of "hair update" photos. I call the top one my "Mufasa" look. The bottom one I think of as "Wizard Hair." Narcissistic? Me? Me? Me? Thanks for stopping by.
