I spent this morning reading a small book suggesting online magazines I could write for. There was a lot of excitement when reading through what the different magazines might pay for an article of spiritual encouragement. $50 and some would even pay $100.
Ka-ching ka-ching – all I would have to do is write ten articles a month and a few things in our ever-decreasing budget would get paid. There are certain stages in life where one should not have to worry about how much budget there is. I am at that stage, or not.
Life stage and life experience have not matched up. No aligning of the planets here. Just a simple discussion of husband and wife, how are we going to get through the month and what can we do to be able to do so.
We are a couple with a faith and faith is our first point of call. Easy right. Not really, it almost takes faith to have faith to have faith. You will never find that in any theological study, in any esoteric literature or even in anyone’s sensible vocabulary or brain.
This is my brain and so it takes faith to have faith to have faith. We had ‘the’ big discussion yesterday. Husbands always know what we are good at, even if we hate doing it.
Mine did, sales he said. Yes, yes I was once three points short of sales rep of the year, but that was a long time ago and a lot has happened since then.
I even have two degrees and one diploma. The diploma was easy; I aced it and got a distinction for journalism. The first degree took eight years to complete and I wrote the final subject three times only to discover that at Unisa if you fail the last subject of your degree you are allowed to write it at home. I did and finally had a Bachelor of Arts (Languages and Literature) with specialisation in Creative Writing. Quite a mouthful but easy when you are sitting at your desk copying from a framed degree. My husband, bless him, framed it for one of my birthdays. He thinks I am a good writer. I can forgive him for the sales thing.
Then I did what I should have done long before turning 60 I got my teaching degree. I am able to teach English and Life Orientation in any government or private school that would have me. Very few people want anybody over sixty. I am not Covid compliant. Not spilling tears over this, it just means I have to write.
My top passion on the list my husband sergeant majorly made me write on ways I could earn money, that could get us through the end of the month and the many months to come, was writing. Okay he’s not a sergeant major – he is the love of my life, but I don’t like to be told what to do even by the love of my life.
I have been writing on and off since I was fifteen years old. In almost 50 years of writing I have not made one cent, but oh how I have enjoyed writing. I have files of it. Some of it is saved in word, I started writing long before Microsoft.
Did this book of magazines I could write for prove to be fruitful? At first yes, I would earn in dollars, I was au fait with the subjects, and I could write impressively about them. There was some fine print at the end of the book; most of these magazines only accept articles from the USA.
In my disgust that was an easy one to solve. I went straight to Amazon and asked for a refund of the book. What a waste.
What about South African writing? What about Africa? Ka-ching, Ka-ching the lights went on. Bone of my Bone and flesh of my flesh. My children, they are creatives.
‘Creatives’ wasn’t even a word thirty or more years ago. The big words were; teacher, lawyer, nurse, doctor. Those of you over 45 will understand. But creatives. One has to live this through your offspring.
Which I have vowed never to do. If that’s not allowed the only thing to do is to reinvent myself, with the help of my creative offspring.
A blog space for Africa and all it has to say. Muddled, mixed up, politicised beautiful Africa. Where storytelling is sacred and handed down from one generation to another. That is why I am plodding away at Memoir. I am telling a story and passing it down to the next generation.
If this small blog were to have a theme or an important statement that makes it well worth reading this would be it. Passing down story to the next generation is worth so much more than $100 from a blog for an American online magazine.
Oh and another big brag, which makes this blog worthwhile. I am ‘lo mama’ of Tyrone, the creator of Over Saturated.
PS. There have been hints of interviewing me on his podcast, Not Really Radio
PSS. Yes I have listened to every episode and read every blog.
PSS. ‘lo mama’.
Enjoyed ‘lo mamas’ blog
Comments are closed.