My wife, Geri, Herb Alf, and me in Roseburg, Oregon, 2003. Herb is one of my heroes and the man whose philosophy guides my work.
Another day in the life of a Working Class Dog. Today, I signed a contract to teach three hours a night, in addition to my day job. Why? The renumeration of five thousand dollars over twelve weeks. I'll be teaching US Government to seniors at night school till the end of the school year. Why? To help finance my second career as a writer. I have yet to see the glamour associated with the field of professional writing. However, I'm not giving up. As my mentor and good friend, Herb Alf, told me a few years back: "Success is more about PERSERVERANCE than it is about intelligence". Herb should know. He was a child of the great Depression, a man who rode the rails as a hobo and then became a B-17 pilot. Shot down, he began a new journey as a prisoner of war. All I have to do is think of Herb, and it gives me the strength to press on.
Herb, you taught me a lesson that has sustained me ever since. I miss you, my friend. And in your honor, I will never tire and never give up.
2 comments:
, I'm not sure about the glamour bit!
I was out with a writer friend of mine yesterday. We drove to Dundee to see Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings. Now he's a HUGELY successful writer of novels, sells millions and has a TV series off the back of his books. He said as we were driving along. "Do you know, I was in a store last week and saw DVDs of the TV show, I thought I better buy them as the TV company has never sent me a copy of any of them."
The fact is that writing is, and always has been, very largely a DIY world.
You are right, Richard. I thought today after I re-read my post that 'glamour' wasn't quite the word I was looking for.
And I still don't know what word I was looking for.
Not a good sign for a writer, is it?
:-)
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