It never ends, and it's never enough

You're a senior in high school.

Where are you going to college?

You go to college, get a degree.  In the middle of a recession.

Where are you interviewing?

You land a job paying peanuts.  To compensate you take the company up on its offer to reimburse tuition and begin a masters program.

When are you getting married?

You get married.

When are you going to graduate?

You receive your M.B.A. 

When are you getting a better job? 

You get a better job.

When are you buying a house?

You buy a house.

When are you having a baby?

You have a kid.

When are you having another?

Fine. You have another and quit your job to stay home with your babies.

Is he walking yet? Is she potty trained? Where will they go to pre-school?  Can they ride a bike? Can they read?  Which soccer camp will you send them to? 

Seriously?

When are you getting a bigger house?  

You get a bigger house.  Your youngest enters first grade.

Now what are you going to do with all your free time?  

*inhale*  You decorate the hell out of your new house, get a variety of part-time jobs, become a "professional" volunteer at the school, and oh yeah, write a bunch of stories and get a novel freaking published.

When's your next book coming out?

*exhale* "I just had a short story released."

No.  I mean a real book. 

You struggle to keep from uttering the following words aloud:  Well, maybe if you hadn't invited yourself over and usurped my entire evening, I'd be working on that right now.

So when does it end?  Will it ever be enough?  Even if you veered from my course at any point above, I'm sure it only led you to a different track of questions.  As my very wise friend explained, it's just the way people show an interest in what's going on in others' lives.  I get that, and it's very nice.  But why do the questions always push forth into the future? Why are people always looking for more, more, more?  Is it not okay to take a moment to just be satisfied?  Ever?

All that being said, this past week I've started working in earnest on my next original manuscript.  :)   I got tired of answering with "I will ... Soon ... It's all up here in my head ... Blah, blah, blah" and I'm delighted to be back at it.  So maybe I'm the kind of person who needs that gentle pressure or I'd never accomplish anything.  How about you?  How do you respond to incessant question of "What's next?"



Here's what's next for  young adult author Carol Oates---her newest novel, Ember, will be released tomorrow!  Congratulations, Carol.

Carol is being interviewed at the brand new Omnific Publishing blog, where you can win a copy of the Summer Lovin' Anthologies---signed by all the authors---just by becoming a follower.