Paid To Ride

Very little in life is more satisfying than being paid to do something you would do for fun anyway. I remember the thrill I got when the royalties from my first legitimately-published book began to come in.

It was especially satisfying because the book in question started as a test piece, designed to explore e-book formatting and HTML5 code-writing. Because I had already been rewarded by the experience I gained writing it, it seemed excessive to receive payment for it as well.

I suspect it's very similar to way Kenneth Cummings felt upon learning that he could get paid to ride his bike for a popular group event in Orange County, California: 

One year Bill Sellin, head of the Bicycle Club of Irvine, proposed a club ride to an overnight party at a shore-side campground in northern San Diego County. Riders would not have to carry camping gear; Bill would transport it for a dollar if you were a BCI member. He charged two dollars for family members if they were not BCI members. three dollars to tote gear for other people. The same transport took wood for a beach campfire and food for the picnic dinner.

He had done this ride before, and it was very popular. There were often a hundred riders or more for these overnight trips, so it was a good fund-raiser for the club. I wasn't interested in the overnight camp. I asked if I could ride the 40 miles down there with them, and then just ride back the same day. With no overnight stay, I had no gear to tote. 

"Sure,” Bill told me. “I will not charge you for that." Then some people said their families just wanted to drive down there for the evening campfire and then drive home. "OK, I'll make that the zero-dollar option," Bill told them.

"Wait just a minute!" I was joking, but responded as if I was annoyed. "I thought I was the zero-dollar option for riding down there and back the same day." Bill acknowledged my point; he declared that mine was now the negative-dollar option. 

He actually paid me a dollar for doing the ride.

Confucius is reported to have said, "Find a job you love, and you'll never work a day in your life." For me in retirement, writing is that job. Any income I make from it is pure gravy.

Word Count: Day 6 Session 1: 1891; Session 2: 1815
Word Count Total: 28,944 words