Thanks for the kind words as always, Denise... and for the tip!

I guess I have wandered around on this ball of rock for long enough to embrace that people just have different priorities... and whereas some of us would like to think that with age and experience we chill out a bit and get off the hamster wheels, some people just aren't wired that way.

My friend who made that comment is well-meaning. She knows I love writing, and recognizes that I am a good writer... but she also operates from the perspective that people get paid for practical things, and "spritual" stuff like I write is unlikely to ever be anything but a hobby. Ultimately, I expect she was "helping" me with advice so I could make a living at writing.