I got to do something really special yesterday, which was be interviewed on a radio station about my new book immediately preceding my singer/songwriter husband, who was interviewed about the tour he’s on. So, if you happen to be in touch with 14-year-old Natalie, please give her the following message: “Relax. Everything works out PERFECTLY.”
It was so super to do this together, even though I was at home in Michigan on the phone, and Mike was in the Fearless Radio studio in Chicago. He is actually starting his second week of a five-week tour, information I like to share with people excitedly and to which I am always surprised to receive sympathetic responses. It must be so hard to have a husband who travels, people feel. I mean, I guess, but also, no. No, because today’s co-interview meetup, though it was something we were doing for the first time, didn’t feel unusual at all. That’s actually just kind of what we do.
During the day, when we are usually both at home, sharing a pot of coffee and quietly typing and clicking away at our computers, we’re constantly bouncing ideas off one another, sharing blog drafts, walking Lois and maintaining a verbal stream of consciousness between our brains. We work independently, but neither of us works alone. We’re like each other’s VP.
When Mike leaves in the evening for a gig, it continues. I know how his tips and sales are going all night. He knows how badly I’ve screwed up whatever experiment I was trying in the kitchen or if I’m having a tough time coming up with a clever lede. Though he is in Chicago, we weren’t only on the radio together yesterday, but Mike also saw 14 pictures of my walk with Lois, I heard about everyone he met at an open mic, what he ate for lunch, what he saw at a museum, etc., etc., etc.
I’m explaining all of this because I have wanted to be a writer forever, but I had a fear about what it would look like. I’m not a loner, and I like working with people. The advent of co-working and remote offices has created a bit of a crisis among extroverts like me, who love independence, but don’t want to be lonely. Thanks to my husband, co-worker and VP of Strategy, I’m never lonely. Even when he’s out on tour and I’m at home. So yay for texting and FaceTime and joint radio appearances, and yay for having a partner who is a genuine partner in every way.
Let’s amend that message to 14-year-old Natalie: “Relax. Everything works out even more perfectly than you can even imagine.”
Natalie Burg 