Into the Swirling Chaos
I stare into the swirling chaos of my future and I’m reminded of how much I really depend on those around me. My family, my friends. In this time of social distancing, I’ve become acutely aware of the lines that connect us all as those same lines are stretched taut by the stressors of these times. Uncertainty floods every aspect of our lives, with protests in our streets and a pandemic sweeping the globe. And, this?
As I write this, my last days at IBM draw to a close. After twenty-one years I’m leaving my favorite large multinational corporation, not entirely of my own will. I always considered this ending inevitable–the consequence of working for Big Corporate America. I’ve planned for the worst and, well, here it is.
The timing is bad. Anxiety is bad. The world is broken, and the daily grind that used to be my source of stability is dissolving under my feet.
So, what am I going to be now?
Hello, I’m Anthony W. Eichenlaub, writer, a stay-at-home dad, intrepid adventurer. I do my best to make the world better for those around me. I live my best life, whatever troubles come my way.
This is a whole lot of financial uncertainty for me. If you’re someone I’ve supported on Patreon over the years, you may have noticed I’ve pulled my support, and I apologize. In the short term, I’m no longer able to give buckets of money to charity or the arts, and that makes me a little sad. Once my wife is off furlough, we’ll take another look at the old finances. I have a lot of hope.
But things aren’t SO bad. Uncertainty is not strife. Carol IS on furlough, but she won’t be forever, and her salary is good. There will, of course, be cost-cutting measures. Instead of buying siding for the house, I’ll be painting. Instead of fancy new solar panels, we’ll be drawing power off the grid like peasants. With any luck we’ll do fine on this new level of income.
Taking that Step Forward
Things you can do to help if you feel so inclined:
- Patreon is a part of my plan to bridge this time financially. Join for a buck a month by July 4th and you’ll get a special Bridge Crew badge. Yeah, I know, a dollar isn’t much, but if I get a few more people to join I can start building it into a community of readers and writers. Then, together, we can take over the world.
- If you know of paid sci-fi writing gigs, let me know. If you happen to be great friends with the team trying to choose their next Star Wars novelist, maybe point them my way. For fifteen years I’ve been writing for fun and money. Now I’m writing for money and fun. It’s… an interesting transition. Still pretty cool, though.
- Same with teaching gigs. I teach at the Loft and Community Ed. Join those classes if you can (I don’t get paid if there aren’t students.) I love teaching and I’m always looking for more gigs.
- Drop an honest review on Grandfather Anonymous or the new Metal and Men boxed set. I can’t get those books off the ground without a baseline of reviews (for various reasons) and if you’ve read my books, it one totally free way you can help.
- Cheer for me. Cheer for everyone. Come on, we’re all in this together. Let’s ALL succeed.
So, expect more posts on this blog. Expect more activity on Twitter and Facebook (but not too much.) I’ll be independently publishing more, but also cranking things up for more long-term traditional publishing. I mean, I might be out of a job, but it isn’t like I don’t have WORK TO DO.