The Overlapping Spheres

“I love my job”

“I love my hobby”

I think the best luxury in my possession right now is to be able to say these two statements not on separate occasions. Not because I am successful in turning my hobby into a job, no.

After all, I have a wide range of hobbies, among others are reading, listening to my favorite music, playing Dota2, collecting yellow duck souvenirs, walking alone in late afternoon, or sitting quietly contemplating random stuffs—all of which have little to do with my day-to-day job as a translator.

What I mean is that I am in no time or spatial restriction on when to do which. I can work, then read a magazine, then work, then drink coffee, then work, then leave my laptops on the table and go for a walk, then go back to work.

It has allowed me to retain a wide perspective on this world. Not one confined to a single spot from a window of an office chair. Having no mode of transportation, I walk myself to different spots where I can sit, open my notebook, and call that place my office.

I move periodically, I always want to change the atmosphere, alter the setting, read different stuffs I could find stashed in the coffee-shop I visit, think about everything I see, every conversation I hear.

I don’t want to be two different persons, shifting between two different spheres. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to work as a professional, while experiencing everything that is so emotional, so profound, so simple, so personal.

This has been a luxury I will not trade away for anything in this world. And for this, I am thankful.

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JC