Stranded....

Yesterday an email note went out to all my contacts which stated I was stranded in London and needed funds to get home. Fat Chance! I always have a back up plan no matter what I do. Almost always...that is...I'm human, too. I received numerous phone calls and email notes about my name and email address being used to solicit money for a foreign bank account. Dear friends that I have said no way...'Wil you've got to get yourself out of this mess'. So I invited them all to spend a couple of their hard earned bucks and come to London and party with me! They could at least buy the ole wretch a cup of tea or a healthy pint in a pub. Although I prefer wine I could settle for a lesser drink. Still no offers. And that's the way it goes with smart friends. A scam is a scam no matter how needy one sounds. It reminds me of the scads of people who are now protesting about bargaining rights, free pensions and benefits. Wanting more for less. Some people believe taxpayers should foot the bill for them to retire without one penny of their own saved for later years. And they want taxpayers to pay for their health care benefits here and now. Of course, some service is really needed from goverment workers. The service from those who protect us. I'd be willing as a taxpayer to give all fire and law enforcement workers full benefits for life at the taxpayers expense...they put their lives on the line. But the rest of us...well, life is a crap shoot and you make a choice about where and what kind of work you want to do. If you're lucky, the work you do is something you love and pays you well. The free market pays for your knowledge, skills, dedication and success. Anything less and you're not worthy of the income. And that leads me/us to writing...while it is a struggle for most of us to earn enough money to buy a luxury townhome in Manhatten, we don't whine, complain and say 'you owe me more'. We plug away with passion like our foot is on the gas pedal. The Great American Novel is just a page away. The lesson here is: Don't scam yourself, dear writers in cyberland. Don't expect someone will come and rescue you if you are stranded on that lone page...where that paragraph won't move forward. Reach deep, laugh at the fact that your muse sometimes asks for a little breathing room, let it reflect on the pay dirt ahead. Let it invest in itself--when it speaks again, you'll move on to the next chapter. I'm sure the scammer that had me stranded in London decided to move on when no one came to my rescue. I hope those striking Democrats in Wisconsin will regain their senses and get back to work and I'm more hopeful that fellow workers, writers, bakers, nurses, school teachers, too---no matter what their chosen profession, vocation will embrace the fact you have to give your all when you do what you do or you're not worth a dime. It's up to you to invest in your future.
Now on to the next chapter...happy writing!