Most times the lives we are looking for are just in our sokoto, yet we always want to go to Sokoto to find it. This is what I learned after spending 8 months dumping my writing and trying to go into tech.
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Don't get me wrong, I am a writer and a very good one at that, but sometimes we only see the good side to a thing and so rush in without first checking to consider if there are bad sides as well.
It was really early the morning this entire drama started, and because I was trying to finish up a writing job for a demanding client, I locked myself in the house and turned my lights off so that none of my neighbors would knock at my door to borrow or ask me anything, especially Dara who would rather ask me what she knew. I clearly didn't know about the compound instead of calling our caretaker to find out.
I was just editing the 5th chapter of the novel when a message popped up on my screen.
“Hey Treasure, check this out” It was Bola, one of my male friends who was always rooting for my progress. I clicked on the message notification and saw that it was a job offer for technical product writing. They paid $18 per article.
I wasn't surprised that Bola was sending me such job notifications even when he knew I had a 30,000-word count novel to submit the next day. Bola didn't like my writing job, he always said my bosses were taking advantage of my craft and that I deserved to earn so much more.
I understood his concern but writing for me was not always about the money, it was about the passion too.
This job Bola sent to me looked really enticing, plus my dream was to earn in dollars so I looked up what technical product writing was and what it entailed.
It involved stuff like creating user guides, manuals, and documentation to help others understand and use a product, software, or hardware.
I didn't think it was difficult so I took out a post-it and wrote “Technical product writing” in order not to forget, then went back to my novel.
“Babe, that's tech! Tech has mad money” my best girl, Sonia, said when I called her later that evening to tell her about the job opportunity.
“And so does writing, Sonia. I'm just wondering if I'll have a passion for it like I have a passion for fiction. I don't want to go into what will stress me”
“Are you joking?” I could hear her sit up on the other side, look, that side you always don't want to go to us where it's always greener. How do they even say it? The grass is always greener on the other side. Emphasis on always”
I thought she was right, most opportunities that posed as difficult were what usually held the best pay. I told her I was going to check it out.
“I have one small challenge though, I need to have basic experience in tech to do this job, my job is to make people understand technical products and websites, I have to understand it first to explain to others”
“Good! Then take a class. Treasure you're more than all these small excuses you're giving o”
I don't blame her when I think about it, my friends are extremely supportive of my writing, especially because I almost got into trouble with my father because of it. It was not her fault that I spent valuable time chasing after shadows.
That job opportunity suddenly opened my eyes to see the greener side that tech had to offer so I began to take courses. For 2 weeks I was in a “Tech mastery class” and one week after that, I officially began to learn and practice front-end development.
It was way harder than I thought.
On most nights, I closed my laptop knowing fully well that I wasn't cut out for tech but I didn't want to look lazy and ungrateful, especially since I had people who were looking out for my success so I kept struggling to learn and I did it every night.
After the 8th month of falling asleep continually on my laptop and learning almost nothing, I decided that tech was not for me.
“I'll focus on my writing, please. The grass is not greener here and I don't intend to continue chasing shadows” I told Sonia.
“You did your best Tee, focus on your writing and just get better. Eventually, you'll get to the point where you'll become better and start earning bigger.”
I didn't tell Bola I had stopped learning tech or I was not going to apply for the job eventually, I just decided that since I had started learning tech, I could pick it up later on when I had nothing to lose. For now, I was going to focus on writing and get better at it.
Haha, that's nice. Having supportive friends us very awesome, and seeing how they are rooting for you and always looking out for your success means they truly want the best for you.
They are the best. I am grateful that I have them in my life. Thank you for visiting 💖
You are welcome 😁 😊
A great piece, supportive friends are the best
Thank you
Hello @iskawrites,
You have a discernible arc in this story. You begin with a challenge (laid down by our friends): earn more money with your writing. You take a path, reluctantly, to achieve your new goal. You pull away from that path and begin with your preferred writing path.
There is no high drama here, but it is a challenge and it does offer a discernible arc with a definite resolution.
However, there are some issues with the piece. For example, you start with this statement:
What does it mean? It seems to intend that we look afar for what we want when all the time what we wanted was right at home. But the sentence doesn't say that. It's very confusing. Plus, what's a Sokoto? Webster's doesn't offer any help on this one.
After the first paragraph, the piece is a bit choppy, choppier than your usual writing. It's almost as though you were straining to create text that fit into the greener grass prompt. It's OK to struggle, but readers should never be aware of that struggle.
You are a very good writer. This piece is not one of your more polished and accomplished stories. This is probably something you will appreciate (because you are a good writer) if you look at the story again with fresh eyes.
Thank you for sharing this story with us, @iskawrites
Eyaaaaah!
Tee has no techy knowledge in her skull. Lol😅
This is life for us,
Not everything is meant for us.
Other people's greener pasture is some people's land flowing with disappointment
And you are getting better infact one of the best,sometimes we just need to understand who we truly are and not trying to be anyone else.
Phew, I can kinda relate to this. Wanting to chase something purely based on the financial rewards, yet killing yourself in the process.
Your decision to continue doing what you are passionate about and you are doing it very well was the right one. You just have to have perseverance and patience to achieve your dreams and enjoy the process.
Greetings @iskawrites, thanks for sharing your story.
The greener side we want are sometimes what we already do and just need to keep at to get to the promise land. I like your friends though. The way they support and root for you is so special.
Most times, we look down on what we have and begin to envy what we don't have. At the end the day, we realize that what we have is more valuable. Thank you for sharing the story with us.
😂🤣😂🤣 sorry for laugh 😂 but the part you were dozing off in your laptop is so me 🤣. Good thing you retraced your step. All the best dear.