Ch-Ch-Changes – The Difference a Year Can Make

ByGD

Ch-Ch-Changes – The Difference a Year Can Make

 

Gemma GravitarWe tend to think of ourselves as a single, continuous existence. But even over the course of a single year, it’s amazing how much we can change. It doesn’t even have to be a year of upheaval. A while back, I posted a writing exercise I did for Geraldine Brooks’ workshop at Iceland Writers Retreat.

I actually took two of her workshops. The second writing exercise was to introduce yourself, to basically give your own personal elevator speech. I wrote this in April, and it’s amazing to me how much of it no longer applies to me this December. I can’t wait to see what I will write about myself in 2015. 

Business Cards

The business cards stacked in my cubicle back in Seattle say “Gemma Alexander – Writer.” I agonized over that decision. They could have said “Technical Writer,” or “Staff Writer,” or “Communications Specialist.” They properly should have said, “Project/Program Manager III” because that is my official King County job classification. I was hired to translate government documents into something normal people understand, something the King County Executive style guide calls “Plain English.” With plain English in mind, I settled on the title “Writer.” I would have liked them to say “Creative Writer,” but solid waste agencies – that’s garbage, not poop – do not hire creative writers. If I want to be a creative writer, I have to do that on my own time.

Business Card

Blogger

Once I posed as a freelance music journalist (plain English translation: blogger) and printed another set of cards that say “Gemma Alexander – Pretty Decent Writer.” “Have pen, will travel” was already taken, and “Will write for plane tickets,” while true, belongs on a cardboard sign in sharpie.

I don’t usually take trips like this one, with itineraries and included meals, hotel beds with sheets. My usual travel style is what I like to call “dirt bag.” When I travel, the budget airfare still costs more than the rest of the trip. I sleep in dormitories, carry a backpack, and make my plans day by day. I’ve never gotten high and danced on the beach under a full moon in Goa. But in my travels, I seem to meet a lot of people who have. I like meeting those global Goa nomads, almost as much as making spontaneous connections with the people who live in the places I visit. I don’t meet many people in my cubicle.

PrettyDecent

About the author

GD administrator

I'm a freelance content and grant writer in Seattle specializing in parenting, arts and the environment.

Got something to say?

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.