Getting started again

Back at my writing desk, I am faced with the enormous possibility that comes with starting over again. I am ready to break out, to expand my journalistic horizons. But there is always the temptation of going back to the familiar work, the kind that brings in paychecks but doesn't really help you grow. I have to admit I feel a sense of guilt at not pursuing the kind of work I have always done--i.e., business writing. I know we could use the money. But you have to take second chances when they come to you, whether they come in the form of the end of a long break, a graduation, a move. They don't come by very often.

For many people, having a baby is a great chance to renew a career. Becoming a parent changes your perspective in so many ways. It also gives you a whole bounty of new expertise you never thought you would have. It connects you in a way that nothing else ever will. Suddenly, you care more about the world, you want to see the tiny filaments that connect everything and keep you rooted. You want to understand the decay that can push it all apart. You also have a newborn work ethic, the kind that comes after you realize that you can stay up all night and do something worthwhile the next day.

Lately, David and I have been on a marathon schedule. Our kids run on both pistons from 7 am until around 10. There is a brief nap, which some days, I swear, I live for. We are trying to figure out how to do it all. Any suggestions?