So, I recently moved away from a regular 9-5 gig into a position doing independent consulting. I'm doing pretty well, but some of the hours got me thinking - especially as I post here at 2:15AM knowing damn well I'm going to be pulling an all-nighter.
Part of why I'm good at what I do is that I love it. It's often said of those in my profession (which I won't delve too deeply into) that we do for love what others won't even do for money. Part of that means I end up getting attached to my projects. It kills me to leave something unfinished or unpolished when I *know* I could do better if I had just a few more days or hours to kick it up a bit.
But money dictates, and I can't let emotional attachment affect me.
Once a client's hours are done, I move on. I have to, or I'll get bogged down under a mountain of unpaid work, because *nothing* is ever really finished, especially in my field. I left my old position because at this point in my career, I want to make money. I might not enjoy this work *quite* as much as the work I left, but it's close, and I can honestly say I enjoy my job far more than most. I'm damned lucky, and I've worked damn hard to take make more luck. But when it comes down to it, it's the detachment that's the hardest part.
Which got me to thinking about the hobby. Obviously, from a client's perspective, we know what we get out of it, and what we pay for that. And detachment is critically important - everyone's heard the horror stories that come when someone gets emotional about someone they met in the hobby. I like many of the girls I've met, I'd even go so far as to say I personally *care* about one or two that I've known for years. But even with the best, you always carry around the knowledge that you might have to cut it all off at a moment's notice.
Hold 'em, fold 'em, walk away, run. You know the drill.
At some zen level, everyone knows that ALL this shit, RW to virtual to BCD, is temporary, and the hobby is just that, condensed and sped up.
This hobby and this site was the little "private" corner of my life where people freely admit that the only true four-letter word starts with an "L", because when it comes down to it, *that's* the shit that will fuck you over if you let it.
Girls sometimes tell me about the guys who show up, and don't ever even *touch* them... they just want to talk. Quite honestly, I can sympathize with those guys, but I wonder sometimes why they don't just get a shrink. The danger? The mere *possibility* that something will happen? They're looking to make an emotional connection, or to at least unload some emotional baggage... which is why I suppose they don't want to involve sex. But... then... why go on eccie or bp in the first place?
I'm kinda curious if any ladies have any thoughts on the subject... I know I'm rambling a bit, but it's late, and I've got a deadline tomorrow, so I need to wrap this up.