I tell people I'm a housewife

I tell people I'm a housewife. It's true enough, and it avoids weirdness. Writing is a job, but people are odd about it.

Imagine you're a plumber. One third of those you meet say, "Oh. Cool. I'm a mechanic. Nice weather we're having, right?"

The second group says, "Oh, you're a plumber. What kind of plumbing? Oh, sinks and toilets. But do you do the fancy Japanese toilets? With the heated seats, pre-mist, bidet, dryer and wifi?" Because you're not a real plumber until you work on the right kind of throne...and bring in a certain income stream. Blue, not yellow. Real plumbers produce blue.

The last group says, "Oh My Gosh! You're a PLUMBER! That's so cool! How many toilets have you fixed? Are you famous? I've always wanted to fix a toilet..."

I've always wanted to be more interested in the stock market, but can't sustain interest. Shrug.

And that's why I tell people I'm a housewife.