Of Being An Engineer and A Writer Part II

My share of 20 free articles from NY Times on my personal PC at home has been fulfilled. I think I have a remaining allocation of two more articles on the PC in the office. On the iPad, well, it's untouched. But my iPad is now the family's public property so I don't really use it anymore apart from checking office emails, IF and only if I must. Anyway, since there's one more week to go until February, I decided to venture to The Washington Post.

I saw the article on Abraham Verghese (Cutting for Stone) about his life in writing a few days ago, when I was reading another article in the Books section. I have somewhat a 'thinning' patience when it comes to western authors creative thoughts and process these days but after a couple of articles related to writers and writing shared and discussed among friends over the weekend, I realized that even though their problems are not our problems, there are things about the craft and art of writing that we can learn from the West. As long as we know which are appropriate and which are not. (How to know? Oh well, that calls for a separate entry but for now it is suffice to say, that calls for knowledge)

Anyway.

Verghese is a physician, and he claimed that only by having a consuming day-to-day job, is he able to steal time to write. Besides, he said, only by engulfing oneself in something one truly love (a worthy, fulfilling career) that one would be able to be passionate about writing. Your day job, according to Verghese, gives you things to write about.

I couldn't agree more. I think that is exactly the reason I am very very very reluctant to part with my day job. Well, two main reasons are purely financial (my college education was paid for by the company I work for, and not having to think about how to pay the bills by the end of each month is a blessed perk), but ultimately, I consider my engineering career as an escapade. 

It is not unlike that I am in reality a writer; when I leave my writings at 8 o'clock in the morning, I know I have 8 hours to contemplate and subconsciously rearrange what I have written. When I return to my writing desk after nightfall, I know I am ready to get the real work done. 

With that, I am humbly grateful.

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

[Holy Quran; 55:21]