I don’t really know what I want to write about today. I just know that I have a longing to write about anything — anything, that is, that is not designed to raise a single penny. Not even for me.
Don’t get me wrong. I love what I do. So much so, in fact, that Roberto often chides me and says “can’t you ever stop working?” or, my favorite, “can’t you ever turn off your brain?” No, in fact, I can’t. My brain stays on, usually at full speed, all the time. Even in my sleep. It’s probably not healthy. I know several experts who would say most decidedly that it is a terrible thing this active brain of mine. But I, for one, am rather fond of it.
I remember even as a little child asking my friends and family if they could turn off their brains. If they could just stop and think of nothing at all. And do you know that some of them could? I was fascinated. So I tried it. I failed. It was most distressing to me. I simply could not do it. If I wasn’t pondering, wondering, or dreaming, I was thinking about how to turn off my brain. I could think about that a lot. But I could never do it. And I still can’t.
When it comes to my work, I have a very difficult time turning off, slowing down, or changing gears — though I am making improvements. I love what I do. I thrive in it. It is my work, my hobby, my pleasure. I also try very hard to control it. Family is more important, for example. And I absolutely love my time with family. It’s my time to recharge, to find balance, to slow down. But even then, there is no off button.
Lately, work has gone splendidly. The business is growing. I feel deep inside me that everything is about to take off. The momentum is building. And so is the suspense. Sometimes I feel desperate. I think, “I have no idea what I’m doing here.” I can’t run a business and care for my family. I am quite inept at both. But the truth is, I love it. The challenge. The frenzy. I simply don’t know how to live any other way.
Is there another way?
Roberto is very good and taking ahold of me and pulling me back a step or two. Slow down, he says. Enjoy what you have. Turn off your brain. He’s only marginally successful, but I appreciate him ever so much for trying. He is my balance bar on this earth. He reminds me to keep my heart focused above, my feet walking in obedience, and my ambition tied to the Lord’s. He is a wonderful man.
And he is part of the reason why I have decided to hire an assistant. Yes, I am taking a giant leap of faith and looking for my first employee of sorts. As much as I thrive on it all, I cannot do it all. I need some help. So I posted an ad on Craig’s list for a Copy Editor/Writer. The position is very part time. And very diversified. In addition to copy editing and writing, the right person will need to keep my life in order. (That should require some over-time.) S/He will help me manage my schedule, keep projects flowing, and assist with database entry. Oh, and all in 10 hours or less a week.
So I posted the ad. And waited. Would anyone reply? I checked the site obsessively for 30 minutes to see if the ad was up. Finally, I had to move on to something else. I do work for a living, you know.
Suddenly, there it was. My first applicant. And she wasn’t half bad. Yay! Then another one. And another one. I now have 30+ applications flagged in my inbox. They are the competent ones. (Sorry folks, if you have a misspelling or grammatical error in your cover letter to be a copy editor, I’m not biting.)
And there you have it. Elizabeth Turnbull’s life in a nutshell. Someday (hopefully soon) I’ll be back to write about Daniela and how she is absolutely thriving. She made all A’s this last quarter you know. Well, all A’s except for Theatre Arts which was a giant misunderstanding that I better not go into since this is not that kind of blog and I’m not sure I can contain myself. So let’s say, “She made straight A’s in everything that counts.”
And maybe, if I’m feeling ambitious, I’ll post about Roberto. He has big plans for the future. I married an artist, but I am married to the next mathematical genius. Have I mentioned lately how much I love him?
Yes, someday I’ll write about all of those things. But for now, I’ll have to be content with what I have written here. I have job applications to evaluate, you know.




