In the stark absence of cubicles

So today I had the great pleasure of interviewing an AMAZING woman who is doing INCREDIBLE things and CHANGING the lives of kids at the school where she is the principal. I love it when my work is inspiring. Damn I’m lucky.

I was giddy when I hung up the phone. My mind was racing. Who can I call? Who can I tell how excited I am about this? I actually thought about calling the client who commissioned the story. Thankfully, I curbed that urge. I can only imagine: “That’s nice, dear. But why are you calling? Go write the %$#@! story!” And, of course, my excitement would only raise expectations to a height I couldn’t possibly meet. (Keeping client expectations low is sort of my trade secret.)

If I was in a real office, I would have popped up, leaned over my cubical wall and exploded my excitement all over an unsuspecting co-worker, going on and on about why this was the best interview ever, and this woman was just so amazing, and what we do is just so meaningless and pointless by comparison, and oh my God I can’t wait to write this!!!

Meanwhile, I wouldn’t be writing. And after blathering on about the great interview, then taking a nature break, then getting a coffee refill, I’d come back to my desk and the moment would be gone. I’d stare blankly at the screen and find some excuse NOT to start writing and a week later I’d be nursing a budding case of panic as the deadline drew nigh.

But instead, I banged out a first draft. Yet another advantage of the Barbie Dream (home) Office.