The release date for Jaeth’s Eye will be delayed (yet again). Sorry for the inconvenience; we’re still trying to get our heads wrapped around the whole process, especially since World Tree is just starting out and there are so many things that goes on behind releasing a finished product. Rest assured, we’re getting there (proofs are out and the team is almost finished reviewing them), and that there will be many, many annoying announcements when that happens.
So. That’s out of the way. I’ve been crazy busy the past month, swimming in a mess of engineering and editing work. I’m not complaining; productive work is wonderful when you have the opportunity to engage in it, even if the per diem compensation comes down to about several cents. I have always been a firm believer in not basing life decisions off what you think you’ll make on the hour.
In college, this was a common topic. “Oh, I should’ve picked a different program,” some people say. “That one guy got a job making five dollars more.” Now that I’ve left young adulthood squarely behind, I’m starting to realize the limitations of money. It is wonderful to buy things that you want, but what it cannot do is change your day-to-day reality (beyond providing for necessities). By that I mean that a brand new car is nice, but it won’t change that you absolutely hate your job, and in time that car will get old, but the job might still be the same. People can survive, even thrive, on so very little: shelter, good food (which you don’t have to buy off restaurants), clean water, and occasionally feeling valued and loved. A few extra grand a year doesn’t make that much difference in the end.
This is not to say I’m arguing against pursuing an education and career. One cannot justifiably survive on passion alone, either. But there is a big difference between busking on the street corner and, say, working a corporate job in the music industry. The hope, at least, is that the latter generates enough income to keep you off welfare, while not proving to be as extreme as say–choosing to become a welder (if that wasn’t your thing).
