I have signed up for one too many projects, campaigns, groups this spring. Even I know that. I’m going to try to not get plowed under in the next few months, but it’s going to be tough. The problem is, when I’m busy, and I don’t stop, I run in manic until I crash. And running in manic is addicting. It’s this feeling like I can accomplish anything, take anything on, and get through it. Especially when it’s something I love.
Take this week for example. Tonight, I had dinner – oustanding Thai – with the b.la crew. Then I came home and chatted with cracksmurf for a bit about a project he’s offered to help me on. Then I went to the gym. Then I came home to do work for that poker room, which I will do for the next hour or two. Then I will send out press releases for a Congressional candidate.
Congressional candidate, you say? Let’s rewind a bit. Last month, I went to a potluck at one of the CODEPINK houses. I expected a gathering of my girls, and instead, found a lot of people I didn’t know, most of them older than I am. I found out that this was the announcement to run by Marcy Winograd, Progressive Democrat here in West L.A. She was giving a speech. I stood back with a plate of quinoa salad and listened. She stands for my views, and will better represent me in Congress than Jane Harman, our current congresswoman. So I volunteered to blog.
Fortunately for me and my work experience quest, that volunteering has put me in more of an Internet consultancy position than just that of “professional blogger”. It’s occurred to me in the last few days, maybe I could make a living out of this. Maybe I could run Internet campaigns and consult politicians and political causes for a career. Maybe this is just the first campaign I’ll work with. It’s a good idea, for me, because it would be a way to integrate my political beliefs and morals into my work. So that’s why I’m pushing to just take over the online side of the Winograd campaign. Even if it means more work than I should be able to handle.
In exchange for this, I’m going on hiatus from CODEPINK. I’ll still go to meetings, but I am NOT doing anything major with them. I developed the online strategy for the Conscientious Objectress campaign, and I’ll train someone on how to execute it, but I can’t be everywhere. However, tomorrow, I’ve been invited to a thank-you dinner for my work with Women Say No To War. With Medea Benjamin, at that. I admire Medea a LOT, so I’ll try to make that. If the day job lets me.
The day job itself is picking up now, too. I admit, I’ve been unmotivated. I’ve been slacking. I’ve been spaced out and distracted and unfocused. There’s been no followup, and tasks were slipping, and I just didn’t care. Then I had a chat with some higherups. And they cut me a deal. If I get focused and get my act together, and do the best damn job I can as an account manager, then they’ll help me start pitching and implementing viral and “Web 2.0” components to campaigns, where it would be applicable and valuable to the client. I’d be resident expert in blogs/viral/RSS and responsible for some really cool branding innovations.
Wednesday, I have kickball, which I’ve had to scale back to just games. Just games, and not even the bar afterwards. And even the games have been a stretch. I know some of the people on my team are resenting that I have put other things ahead of them and the team and the game. I suppose I could try harder to get organized so that I can have that time for kickball, but I’m still ironing out the kinks in that plan.
Thursday this week, as per usual, I have a CODEPINK meeting. I’m actually on the signature line for L.A. now. When a message goes out from our office, it says, “in love and peace,” and then lists the staff and the hardcore volunteers. Including me. But I may start skipping meetings anyways so I can breathe. Or go on the once a month Downtown Art Rides – the on-bikes counterpart to the Art Walks. And Fridays, I’m on my bike anyways, for Critical Mass or Ridazz or Three-Ten.
Things are good. Maybe a little too good. That’s all. It’s going to be a crazy spring – but if everything falls into place, it should be a very very rewarding one.
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