Pursuing a Version of Something

There is a lovely book of advice for writers called Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield, which talks about how much easier it is to pursue a version of something than the real thing. Pressfield says that the biggest obstacle to great writing is the same for great living. It is to substitute a safer, lesser goal for the tough and exciting work you really ought to be doing. He calls this a “shadow career.” You are a teacher but it’s less about the kids now and mostly about…