Okay, so I heard two things yesterday. First, a professional writer scoffed at those who say they can't live without writing. He claimed only to write because he was paid to do it. Second, I heard that people actually make money performing as air bands (meaning they stand on stage and play air guitar while a recording is played).

I found myself indignant at both these things. First, while I wouldn't die if I didn't write, I am driven to do it, and I make no money. Second, while I have made my living playing music, I make very little now, and am disgusted that people are paid to do nothing when I have worked very hard to actually make music.

Now, this is, of course, a bald expression of my knee jerk reaction. I can step back and see these things from a different perspective. After all, you have to make a living some way, and a writer who isn't paid will starve if he or she has no source of income. And air bands are just silly fun, so why shouldn't they make money if people are willing to pay? I'm not going to step back, though. I know I can find a soapbox around here somewhere.

Yes, I found it. My soapbox is all about me, just like everybody else's soapbox is all about them.

To my first point: It is insulting to us writers with no publishing success to make fun of us for having a dream. Don't be a jerk. If you didn't have a job as a writer, maybe you wouldn't write, but I do, thoroughly without success. It may be sad or it may be heroic, but it's not a mockery.

To my second point: Yes. I am a classically trained musician. I play the oboe, but I'm really an English hornist. Yes. I get that my marketability is rather thin. And yes, I get that most people would rather watch an air band. And yet, I am good at what I do. Somehow it's sad that people would rather watch someone pretend to make music than listen to someone actually do it.

There is a legitimacy gained by education and profitability. If you have letters behind your name or a nice salary, you are legit. If you make a crowd happy, you are (if I can quote MC Hammer) too legit to quit. The rest of us are lucky if we can be Don Quixote instead of Sancho Panza. Hey look, my soapbox just turned into a windmill. That's more appropriate, since I'm just spinning my wheels.

But I digress. Behind my name, I can add B.M. and M.M., which most people would construe as poop and chocolate. Both are necessary to life, I don't care how high and mighty you are.

I digress again.

Thank you. I have found my point. I would rather be silly than indignant. Still, if I have managed to communicate anything, I stand by it. On my soapbox. My windmill is currently under repair.