Tick, tick

I've been doing a lot of waiting lately.

Not just waiting for that "epic, historic" storm event we were promised today. It may have been that elsewhere, but not where I am. Too bad, too, because I had a great name for it: Blizznado 2015.

No, I've also been waiting for work. Got two potentially epic and historic events of my own in the offing. One is a writing gig, a long-form project the likes of which I've never done before - but I'm confident I could ace. I've already written a sample chapter (that was Round 1 in the bake-off) and edited it (Round 2). Last I heard I was one of the front-runners. But they haven't reached a decision yet. Tick, tick.

The other is a more creative and even potentially lucrative job (and when was the last time you ever read the words "creative" and "lucrative" in the same sentence?) that would transport me out of the land of Blizznadoes and into a sunnier clime for an entire week. That week is only a week (or possibly two) away, but the clients have yet to make up their minds. Tick, tick.

Now it occurs to me that these jobs have something in common with Blizznado. They all require me to wait. I can't make the clients decide any more than I can force the snow to fall. Or not to fall, depending on your preference. (I like snow - but then I don't have to shovel it.)

Where the jobs and the storm differ is that the jobs would keep me extraordinarily busy; the blizzard allows me to relax. (See above.) So I'm trying to embrace the downtime I have now; in a couple of months it could be in short supply.

One of the first things I ever heard about freelancing - years before I thought of doing it myself - is that when you have the time to relax, you don't have the money and when you have the money you don't have the time. That will certainly be true if either (or both! please, both!) of those jobs comes through.

In the meantime, I'm working on "letting go." And breathing - a lot of deep breathing - every time my mind thinks Tick, tick.