Perhaps the lesson most firmly driven home to me since beginning my life as a business entity is that I am my business and I need to conduct myself accordingly. My behavior and my work are inseparable, in the eyes of the public. That’s the blessing and the curse of being a freelancer, I guess.

The corollary to this realization is that corporations don’t seem to feel any such similar obligation to provide top-notch service and behavior. Is it because there’s no regulating a business entity to that level once you have more employees? Is it because they just don’t care? Is it because they can’t help it? I don’t know. But I do know that since going into business for myself I have a lot less patience for the business snafus of companies that should do better.

Which brings us to my business banking. Unfortunately.
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I read a blog entry recently about the epidemic of folks unable to leave work behind; the writer’s position was that folks who are utterly unable to “unplug” feel that they are simply too important to the world to ever take a true vacation or hiatus from their work. The epidemic of Crackberry addicts, laptops at the beach resorts, etc., are, in her opinion, due to an overblown sense of importance on the part of the folks unable to step away. But then she goes on to ask if it’s perhaps fear (of standing up to the boss) or people who just really, really love their jobs.

I responded in the comments to say that, as a freelancer, when I work on vacation—as I’m doing right this second—it’s not because I think I’m so important, but because I realize exactly how replaceable I am. If I don’t do it, the people who employ me can find someone else who will. If I don’t blog, folks will find other blogs to read. I have no illusions of being such a special snowflake that only I will do; part of the reason I get hired and read is because I’m dependable. (You know, like the postal service, but with fewer anger issues.)

But does that mean I can’t ever unplug?
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One of the greatest things about being a writer for a living is that I get a lot of free books.

One of the worst things about being a writer for a living is that I get a lot of free books.

What? Yeah. Look; I love books, and I love things that are free, so it stands to reason that this particular confluence of Things I Love should be nothing but Nirvana. But the reality is that my cup—more specifically, my office—runneth over. It runneth all over the darn place. I’ve got to figure out a better system.

Of course, the freebies each fall into a certain category, too. Just to make it more interesting. And you’d think that’d help me keep things organized, but you’d be wrong.

(And yes, I realize this is very much a First World Problem, but hear me out.)
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Just about everyone has a story about the job where the boss was completely unreasonable, right? For most of us, that story goes with a job we had in high school or college, when we maybe didn’t know how to handle such a thing, but I’m always amazed at the number of grown, competent adults who carry around war stories of the Job With The Nutty Boss. Part of the lure of freelancing, of course, is that you’re essentially your own boss, and you also have the freedom to pick and choose with whom you’d like to work.

But. Being a freelancer doesn’t somehow protect one from having a run-in with a difficult client. And it’s easy enough to say, “Not me! I only choose to work with people I really click with, and I’ve never had a problem!” But I guarantee that if you freelance long enough, you’ll find yourself dealing with some less-than-optimal relationships, one way or another.

Remember how I make tax mistakes so that you don’t have to? I also deal with Crazy so that you don’t have to. Pull up a chair.
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