Amateur vs. Professional

A few years ago, I gave someone some grief about not being professional in their work.

Looking back, I need to give me the same talk.

Amateur comes from the Latin meaning "to love." I guess, for the Romans, amateurs love what they do, and professionals get paid for it. I hesitate to mention "professional" and "woman" in the same sentence, because some people's thoughts automatically jump to the oldest profession.

I was not talking about prostitution to my co-worker. I was talking about being professional. By professional, I did not mean being a lawyer or a doctor. I meant being a professional about your work. But unlike the Romans, I think professionals need a certain amount of love for their jobs. They need to be passionate about what they do.

Right now, I am an amateur writer, and I am not talking about not being paid for writing. But I am not committed to writing. Not yet. I write a few times per week, and although it may be a bit more than most people, I am not committed to writing.

And I want to be committed.