As if I have time to blog!

I hereby swear off the use of the word swamped to describe how much work I have to do. I’m sure my friends have gotten sick of hearing me say it. And it tastes stale in my mouth. Swamped, of course, is an emphatic. It means extremely busy. But I’ve actually begun to add emphasis to it by saying something like, “I’m just so swamped.” The so really sells it. For a time. But recently I’ve sensed that people doubt me. Tom is swamped. I mean, I did have coffee with him the other day. He can’t be so swamped. Hell, now he’s even blogging!

One of my favorite stories about creative work has to do with a cartoonist. I don't remember which one. If this rings a bell, let me know who I'm talking about. (I'll probably get twenty-two different names.) The guy was sitting in an easy chair in a room by himself, staring into space. A friend walked in and asked him what he was doing. “Working,” said the cartoonist.

That’s the great (and terrible) thing about being self-employed in a creative endeavor. Sometimes when you claim to be working, you seem to be doing nothing. And people look at you askance. Truth is, a writer for hire usually has several plates spinning. It’s tough to convince people that when you’re staring into space you might actually be in panic mode, spinning plates wildly. Out of the corner of your eye, you see one start to wobble. You pivot, reach for it, hands trembling, sweat pouring down your face.

Metaphorically.

I mean, I do sit in a comfy desk chair, usually reclined, sometimes rocking.

So this is the beginning of my blog. Now I’m even more swa – extremely busy. See, extremely busy just doesn’t do it. I either have to find a new way to express it or retire.