Day Job vs. Night Job

​It’s getting super close to vacation. How do I know? Because I’m this close to losing my mind due to crazy Day Job. That’s typically the indicator light, warning me that it’s time to get away for a while. Sure enough, Day Job stupidity is about to make me lose my mind.
 

Image by Kenji Yamamoto on flickr.


​​The grass is always greener elsewhere, you say? Of course it is. But that’s not the point of today’s blog. The purpose of today’s blog is as an indulgent compare and contrast time for Day Job (medicine) vs. Night Job (writing). Let us commence the therapeutic hyperbole, for I have 20 more patients to see on Monday and then I am On Vacation. (Why Monday and not Friday before? Well. Yeah. I never claimed to be a genius.)
 
 
Day Job = Miracle of life (baby)
 
Night Job = Miracle of life (book baby)
 
Day Job = People with very narrow job descriptions and smidgen of power who make doing our job difficult or impossible. Many decisions take place in dark, smoke-filled rooms, behind the scenes.
 
Night Job = Ok, yeah. This happens everywhere.

Image by openDemocracy on flickr


​​ 
Day Job = I try hard not to hurt anyone and always want to make them better.
 
Night Job = I try hard to hurt all of my characters, and delay making them better until 95% of the book is done. Even then, most everyone walks with a limp when I’m finished with them. Given the soft tissue injures, it’s a mystery how there aren’t more wound infections in my books.
 
Day Job = Lots of blood and guts.
 
Night Job (at least the way I write) = Lots of blood and guts. And a recent fixation with broken bones and bone marrow oozing, it would appear.
 
 

Image by Jen Morgan on flickr


​Day Job = Make heartfelt comments at your own risk of life, limb and career.
 
Night Job = The more heartfelt comments you can make, the better the career.

Day Job = How to keep job and maintain sanity? Only show limited feelings to patients, and show zero feelings to administrators or other departments.
 
Night Job = All those feelings that got pent up all day long – bleeeaahhh. Right there on the page for all to see, and it feels so good! Sanity restored!

Image by Freedom House on flickr


​​ 
Day Job = Politics that I don’t understand.
 
Night Job = Politics that I don’t understand.
 
Day Job = Nice people who will do anything to help
 
Night Job = Nice people who will do anything to help
 
Day Job = Sometimes yeah, you have to just Google it.
 
Night Job = Sometimes yeah, you have to just Google it.
 
Day Job = Carpal tunnel risk due to excessive typing.
 
Night Job = Carpal tunnel risk due to excessive typing.
 

Image by Sebastien Wiertz on flickr


​Day Job = When there’s an emergency, you gotta go help.
 
Night Job = When there’s a great idea, and you gotta go type!
 
So which is better? Day Job or Night Job?
 
It’s like having two homely children. No way could I pick my favorite….