A Solo Act

As I’ve written in the past, working from home has its advantages, as well as disadvantages. For instance, quite some time ago, I bought the finance software Quicken in order to help me keep track of billing and invoices. The icon is on my desktop, but it’s been ages since I’ve clicked on it. The reason being, even with the tutorial, I have little idea how to navigate the program. Besides, taking time to figure it out means I’m not making money, so learning the program is low on my to-do list. When I used to work for a corporation, they would make sure the employees had ample training time to become acquainted with the computer programs we needed. Now it’s just me alone. I cannot pick up my phone, dial an extension, and say, “Little help, please.”

After-hours socializing is also lacking when one works from home—actually, I’m not quite sure what “after hours” means since I don’t log off my computer until around 11 pm when The Daily Show begins. This doesn’t mean that I’m on my computer that entire time, but I do tend to keep track of any e-mail that pops up while I’m doing something other than work. Again, it’s hard to differentiate what that “something other” is since being a freelance writer slash publishing consultant covers a number of possibilities.

Admittedly, the advantages often compete closely with the disadvantages on any given day. For instance, I don’t have to rush home and cook something slapdash. Instead, I can put a roast in the oven or simmer sauce all day on the stove and have a nutritious meal prepared for dinner; I can water my plants in my yard or run some errands and not worry any supervisor is calling to see if I’ve met a deadline. Conversely, I feel as though I am an island to myself. I do appreciate being my own boss, but it would still be nice to have someone nearby to talk about everyday issues, not to mention help me figure out a computer program.