Things I Bought in July: A Laptop, a Dress, Freedom

by Maria Romano

In July, I bought:

1) A new laptop, which I agonized over (“Don’t buy now,” said experts. “Great new thing coming in a month!”), but finally chose in a careful calculation of good enough/I like the way it looks and feels/not top-of-the-line. I am keeping it clean — no library of photos or music, backlog of unfinished stories, tax documents. It’ll just have an Internet connection, basic programs and all my hopes and dreams for the future. Cost: $522

2) A copy of Microsoft Office, which is now available by subscription and really means that I will pay forever for the right to use the basic functions of each program. This adds $100 to the price of the laptop, which was not factored into my original calculations. Cost: $100

3) This Cute Maxi Dress, which is now my favorite thing that I own. I had a coupon, so I saved 20 percent, but I have to buy new shoes, since I didn’t have anything as cute as the dress. Shoes were not factored in. I need the dress because I have this vision of myself wearing it while sipping from a tall glass, laptop on my lap, Cape Cod beach before me, cool breeze, taking a deep breath before typing “The End.” (I paid for two weeks on Cape Cod before the summer started, so all I need now is a manuscript to finish.) Cost: $120 + to-be-purchased shoes.

4) Membership to the Romance Writers of America. I can finally and proudly admit that I am working on a romance, one that is hot, fun, intense, and, you know, romantic. (Conditions I also want for my future, more to come.) Cost: $120

5) My freedom. I negotiated two months away from my day job at an arts non-profit, finally listening to that one voice in my head that likes me. My executive director took the leap of faith with me and we agreed on a two-month leave. This took negotiating. Summers can be quiet at our office, but I am working on a few critical projects with fall deadlines, so I can’t just run away and expect to a pleasant return. I am still checking and responding to email and going to the office now and then. Otherwise, I am making my own schedule. But I have no income — I am actually paying for my freedom by covering my health insurance, a little over $1,100 for two months. Savings and the security of knowing that I will have a regular paycheck will get me through the summer. All I have to do now is get my butt in the chair and write. $1,100 + Lost Income + Bills/Overhead. A lot. Not much at all, really.

Maria Teresa Romano has a lot of unfinished business. She’s working on it. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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