I’ve been busy editing my next book which will be called “Mishmash.” It’s a book of stories, essays and/or a mixture of both. Some of them are fairly long, some fairly short and some so short, it’s to the extreme. Some you’ve already read and some you haven’t. Yes. A true mishmash.
Yesterday while working on this new book, it occurred to me that my working life has been a bit of mishmash too. I’m talking about how I’ve made money through the years.
My brothers and I were Country Music entertainers and yes, we made money doing it. I don’t think we made any money on record sales despite the fact that we had one record that did pretty well. I think a lot of music people will tell you back in the “old days,” nobody made money on record sales. We made money on live performances.
I grew up on a farm but moved to the city during the early 1970’s. Despite this and despite the fact I was now making money doing accounting work, I raised two crops of tobacco with my dad in the early 80’s and made decent money doing it. My brothers and I always helped him with this when we were growing up, but didn’t get paid anything for doing it—not that I’m bitter. Does anybody these days make much money growing tobacco? I kind of doubt it.
I did accounting work for over 30 years. Sometimes I like to say I “fooled” people by doing it so long but that’s not true. I was actually a pretty good accountant.
I started writing seriously in mid October, 1997, I did both accounting work and writing for more than a few years. Even being a writer has been a bit of a mishmash as I write short stories, novels, columns, essays—what have you.
As far as making money goes, I made more money being an accountant than any other job I’ve had. Of course writing is the thing I enjoy the most, the thing I like best and the thing I’ve always wanted to do. I’m not getting rich, but I’m enjoying myself. Maybe at my age, that’s OK.
And I hope it’s OK if I don’t write here again until Wednesday. See you then.
(The photo was taken by my son)
Larry Gross Online 
You’re lucky to be doing something you enjoy doing. So many of us out there aren’t!
Enjoying writing shows, Larry. That’s why you’re good at it!
See you’re wearing a Letterman tshirt. Hold on to that. It will be worth some money once good old Dave retires.
I was a banker for a number of years. I’m retired now and sometimes I do miss going to work each day. Know what i don’t miss? That damn alarm clock every weekday morning.
J.R., I think you and I feel exactly the same way about retirement!
Looking forward to the next book 🙂
My father was a tobacco farmer and I remember being in the tobacco fields with him. I don’t think there is any harder work than cutting tobacco and handing it in the barn. I don’t miss those days and I know dad doesn’t either.
I remember cutting tobacco too one summer when I was in high school to make some money. Never again! Disgusting dirty work!
On that mandolin, do you take requests?
Being a writer is way cooler than being an accountant 🙂