One of the drawbacks of being in pro-blogging and engaging in various online / “virtual” types of businesses is that there will inevitably be people who misunderstand you and your career. In this day and age of broadband, mobile commerce and e- (or m-) everything, there will always be people who seem to be on the regressive side of the equation. Yes, even younger people—even younger than myself perhaps.

A couple of weeks back, I was at a relative’s house visiting with the wife and kids, and an uncle was presently having a business meeting (I was supposed to have been part of that venture, but I had been busy. Very.). Of course the laid back individual that I am, I was wearing my signature khaki shorts, plain T-shirt and leather sandals—my usual casual attire when not going to meetings or upscale places.

Kids needed milk so I went to the living room—where we had earlier set our things down—to get the big canvas bag we use to keep the kids’ bags and stuff for easy handling. It was also there where the meeting was taking place. I was introduced by our uncle to one of his associates. And she immediately noticed the bag, which had a big Pfizer logo emblazoned on the front.

“Are you a medical rep?” asked the besuited lady.

“Umm. No,” I responded.

My uncle said I was into various online ventures, and he also asked me how business was.

“Very busy lately,” I responded. “Many times I even stay up two days in a row just to get things done.”

“So you work at a call center?” the kind lady asked, probably thinking that the only people who stay up late to work are those in these offshored contact center industries.

“Umm, no. I work for myself. I write. I’m also in the business of providing content to online publications, and I do publish my work on my own websites,” I kindly explained, gesturing as how one would usually type on the keyboard.

Confused looks.

By this time I was sort of exasperated and said my good-byes, smiling politely.

I could only imagine how confused that young lady might have been (young being approximately the same age as I), encountering someone with no clear job description and probably not having a regular job at all.

For all she knows I might be just some unemployed guy bumming around at home.

I do have a job (or a business or a venture, or whatever you may call it). I do write for this great blog network, Bloggy Network, and I do consulting work with the company that co-owns Bloggy, and yes I’m trying to wrap up my government project that I started months ago. Oh yes, I do try to help other people GTD (get things done) with online productivity tools—pro bono, of course. However, like many entrepreneurs and netrepreneurs and freelancers, I work from my SOHO (small office/home office, which I usually consider to be my small—very—home office).

But most people would be baffled with the idea of anyone earning without having to wake up in the early morning hours and beating the rush hour traffic. For most, it’s the job title and job security that matter. But for me, I love the fact that I create, that I use my mind to think up great things and share them with the world just with a few strokes of my keyboard.

I write. And I’m glad to say for a fact that I’ve somewhat inspired—or even influenced—other people to do the same too, that is to make a living practicing their gift with the written word. They’re probably better than me at this, but I do believe that writing style is only as good as the idea that one is trying to convey and the effort and discipline that a person puts into his craft (or art, as I prefer).

To each his own, I guess.

Tags: Careers, misunderstanding, Problogging, Productivity, society, Work | Viewed 3315 times