Commitment

I recently had a friend ask me about commitment.  What does it mean to be committed?  According to Dictionary.com (I went for easy, not Oxford English Dictionary.  Remember, we're trying to find an easy definition, not the 1000 places the word has shown up in history), "commitment" means "a pledge or promise; obligation; engagement; involvement."

So, what does it mean?

Does it mean that if you're committed to something or someone that you're committed to that thing or person to the exclusion of all else?

No.

For example, I'm committed to my writing.  One's perception of being committed to writing might look like this: I get up and write.  I take a break to eat breakfast, absentmindedly kiss my children good-bye for school, all the while thinking about my writing.  They leave for school, and it's back to writing.  I forget to eat lunch, I'm so engrossed in my writing.  When the door opens, accompanied by shouts of "Mommy! We're home," I jump and look guiltily at the clock, the pile of dirty laundry, and the empty pantry.  Ooops.  I hurry down to fix a snack out of old Saltines and the last bit of scraped peanut butter.  As soon as the children settle down to their homework, I rush back up to my creative space to see if I can get a few more pages in before someone magically manifests dinner.  After said magically manifested dinner, I beg off another round of Monopoly, crying out, "But I'm committed to my writing!" Everyone nods in understanding, and there I am back at the computer, churning out pages and pages of beautifully written literature.

Well, that's not how writing goes in my house.

Yes, I'm absolutely committed to my writing.  And I have two daughters.  And I have a business I'm fully engaged in.  And I have relationships I'm committed to.  Writing is important, yes, but I can be committed to many things at once. Somehow, I make them all fit. 

Are there times that one of those priorities takes precedence over another? Absolutely.  If my children are sick, screw the writing, and my clients will understand.  If I've been working too much, then I might need to slack off at home and go play with my friends.

It all works out.

So, while my being committed to writing may not look like that perception above of a truly committed writer, I AM committed.  I write.  I take classes and workshops on writing.  I develop classes and workshops on writing.  I teach writing. I read, sometimes for enjoyment, and sometimes with a writer's eye to how that author did that.  I'm noting scenes, characters, theories, plots... And I write.

What does commitment look like to you?

Comments

[Patricia]

I love how you are committed to many things at once. Being committed completely to only one thing at a time, to the exclusion of others, is a recipe for, well, committment of another sort. Your description sounds like a stereotype that needs to be cleared up. Balance is the key, knowing when to focus and when to let go. You sound very balanced indeed!