Monday, March 4, 2019

The Recipe for a Career

Last week, several of you left comments indicating that my new “recipe” for writing sounded like a renamed, still ambitious, version of the old. Today I’m writing the first of three posts to explain the differences between the old Dee—worker bee—and the new—nonchalant feline.

Today, I’ll detail the years to retirement; next week, retirement to now; third week, new recipe. Please bear with me; I hope you don’t get too bored.

Let’s begin.

Throughout grade and high school, college and convent, I responded promptly to a clanging bell announcing a change of class or task. That bell set the rhythm of my day. After I left the convent, I taught for several years, once again responding to bells. The routine eked into my bones. Very Pavlov and his dog.

Then, in 1973, I began to work for a well-known Roman Catholic publishing house in Minneapolis. As a senior, trade-department editor, my work day went from 8:30 to 5:30. No bells; no classroom assignments to grade; no manuscripts to assess at home. I managed to meet my deadlines within the set hours of the work day.


In 1980, I became director of the curriculum department. My staff consisted of five creative editors as well as an insightful administrative assistant. The staff went home at 5:30, work left behind. As director, I spent the day in numerous meetings and phone conversation with authors, leaving little time for managing the numerous projects. I began to take work home with me.

Arriving home around 6 PM, I’d fix supper and then work for four more hours to keep abreast of the editors’ work and that of designers and marketers. Each evening, I considered religious trends and writings and planned for future projects. By doing this, I produced—for the publisher—numerous five-year plans for the curriculum department.

In July 1984, I wearily resigned and became a freelancer. For the next seventeen years—until I retired at age 65 in 2001—I did curriculum projects for Roman Catholic publishers in California, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Texas, and Minnesota. This sometimes required attending meetings at the publishing houses.

During this time also, I taught at least one evening class a quarter or semester at the University of Minnesota or the College of St. Catherine’s. So I had to drive back into the metro area and also plan lessons and grade papers.

Often, I’d be working on curriculum projects that entailed several components, each with its own deadlines. Publishers contacted me because of my work ethic, my creativity, and the fact that I met every deadline during those seventeen years.

To do all that I had to develop a rigid work schedule because I wanted—and needed—to include walking 3 to 4 miles a day in the nearby cemetery, praying, meditating, doing daily T’ai Chi Chih, and writing my own manuscripts.

Also, I wanted to enjoy meals with friends, an occasional television program, movies, grocery shopping, and browsing the library. Thus, I had to work seven days a week to include these “wants” along with the “needs” of my publishing deadlines.

To do all this, I’d make a schedule each night for the next day. It might go something like this:

6:30AM:Rise/Pray/Dress/T’ai Chi Chih/Feed Cats; 7:30Work on My Ongoing Manuscript; 8:30Breakfast; 9:00-1:00Latest Project; 1-2:30Lunch/Feed Cats/Meditate/Nap; 2:30-5:30Latest Project; 5:30-7:00National news/PBS Newshour/Supper/Feed Cats; 7-11:00Latest Project; 11-11:30Read mystery novel; 11:30-2:30AM:Latest Project. 2:30Bed.

Clearly, I didn’t get enough sleep. The result: ill health from 2001 to the present.

Next week: the first 17 years of retirement.


Peace.

33 comments:

  1. Wow, you sure were a busy bee! I don't know how you kept up with such a busy schedule for so many years.

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    1. Looking back, I don't know how I did it either. I do know that I had a social life. That meant that I worked on both Saturday and Sunday to make up for going out during the weekdays or for teaching during those days. Peace.

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  2. And I thought I used to drive myself. Ha! Seems like very little by comparison to all that!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by. Truly, looking back now from the advantage of many years and much illness, I see just how ridiculous it was. Peace.

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  3. Yikes! I can see how missing so much sleep would bring on illness. You certainly did work hard, and accomplished so much. Except for self care, that was an amazingly productive period in your life. I am impressed you did it for so long.

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    1. Dear DJan, it was productive, but oh, so devastating to my body. I'm really unsure how I pulled it off! Peace.

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  4. Buuzzzz! You were very busy, Dee. Nonchalant cat mode sounds like a good pivot. :)

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    1. Dear Bea, I truly am going to cut way back with what I'm not--in my retirement--trying to accomplish. I want to begin cherishing my body. Peace.

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  5. Heavens above! why on earth would anyone punish themselves so? Whatever you thought you were doing you certainly were not concerned with your own wellbeing, were you? I know everybody has seriously busy days, but not week in week out. I hope you will soon see sense and I can stop worrying about you.

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    1. Dear Friko, now that I'm out of the forest of that time, I can look back and see just how punishing it was. I paid no attention to my body's needs. And the sad thing is that keeping some kind of rigid schedule continued into retirement--right up to now. So I'm stopping this nonsense. I'm going to embrace moderation! Please spend no time worrying about me! Peace.

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  6. I'm exhausted just reading this!

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    1. Dear Molly, writing it exhausted me. How in the heck did I manage to do all that and to be blind to what it was doing to my psyche and my body??????? Peace.

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  7. I'm like Molly. Mercy, I guess that is what it is like to be "driven." I'm feeling like a total slacker now. Hope you can perfect that Nonchalant cat mode. Now that sounds doable.

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  8. Dear Patti, truly "driven." Obsessive/compulsive driven for so many years. And then threading my retirement with many strands of the same obsessiveness. The cats have a lot to teach me. Peace.

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  9. Oh dear Dee i am so glad that you shared your part of life when you were so much busy and driven by enthusiasm so far

    you sound very strong and special person to me my friend!

    to be honest if it was my own choice i would have chose such extremely busy life without making any family

    yes i was like this ,just wanted to be my own

    but this is great that now you slow down yourself and enjoying the calm routine without being much unrest

    hugs!

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    1. Dear Baili, living along certainly made a difference in how much time I could devote to any one thing. As to resting now, it's something that has taken me 18 years to learn! Peace.

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  10. Wow, you were certainly hard on yourself in those years. I know what you mean by living by bells. I taught mostly high school for 34 years and my days were ruled by those bells, too. It was one of the things i loved most when i retired — the freedom from those infernal bells that meted out the minutes of my life for so long.

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    1. Dear Cynthia, yes, those bells kept clanging in my mind for years that stretched into decades. Now I have a Goggle Mini for the Home that sounds an alarm 10 times a day to remind me to put drops--Glaucoma (3x) and lubricants (7x). It's never-ending!

      What subject did you teach in high school? With your interest in history, I wonder if that was what you taught. Peace.

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    2. British Lit, American Lit, and different writing classes. Last many years were all honors classes for college credit — what a joy to teach bright young minds who actually wanted to be there!
      (Sorry to hear those infernal bells have returned to your life! I use a gentle gong for reminders and ending meditation. So much nicer than the raucous school bells.)

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    3. Dear Cynthia, what a wonderful background for embracing life. I majored in "English" in college and then did a little graduate work with it, and I've always felt/believed/thought that it truly helped me understand the human condition and be empathic toward others. Literature has taught me so much about others. So it's no wonder that your blog reflects this so often.

      The Google Mini isn't really a gong. It's more a little lilting melody! So it's not hard on the ears, but, oh, I sometimes weary of living by it because of my Glaucoma! Peace.

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  11. Dee, here's the link for that no-knead bread recipe you asked for. Sorry it took me so long! I usually start the dough the night before. And I don't do the floured towel, I just let it rise in the bowl. It really is the best and least fussy bread I've made. I hope you'll enjoy making and eating it as much as we do!
    https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/mark-bittman-no-knead-bread-50122832

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    1. Dear Molly, thanks so much! This will really get me baking bread more regularly because the standing and kneading 8-10 minutes has been hard on my back and so I've mostly stopped baking anything but scones! Peace.

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  12. Dee, the time has come. Slowing down, letting go and still enjoying life. I will keep an eye on you and so will all your friends here once you post your flaky feline schedule. Purr.....Is there anything better than relaxing with a cat on your chest, purring away. And you have three....

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    1. Dear Inger, thanks so much for the encouragement. I'm finally retiring--after 18 years! And I'll post about my discoveries of new enjoyment. And as you say, I live with three cats--all of whom want to relax on my chest! Peace.

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  13. You reminded me of my 196 to 1996 in my life when teaching, volunteering and raising my three children gave me little time for proper sleep. Glad that is behind me now but new challenges do come along.

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    1. Dear Heidrun, your schedule must have been exhausting. The only reason mine was possible was because I had no children and lived alone. And yes, there are now new challenges. For me, they are mostly about health and about letting go of my need to accomplish too many things on any given day! Peace.

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  14. Hi, Dee! Haven't seen you post in a while. Just checking in! How are you?

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  15. thank you for sharing your experience

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  16. Sending prayers for good health of every sort.

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  17. How did you manage to continue with that punishing schedule? The best part of it all was " Feed the cats". A heap of love to you, as we both relish the days of not having to run to a bell or alarm clock. XXX from down in NZ.

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  18. Crazy schedule! I have a lot of admiration for you now :)

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  19. Something to be said for the worker bees though. They take care of my wife in Memory Care, solve problems and are the guardians who get things done. The management hide in their offices', create unnecessary red tape and disappear on weekends...:)

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  20. I got an email but see no new post. Hope you are improving as I type. Health and aging are a battle we all struggle with.

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