Scary ...

Okay. I signed up for this gig so I could tell people, "You know, if your subject and your verb agreed, this would read much more nicely." But today I sat down across from a fellow, he had me close his door and said, "This is just between you and me." I don't know about you, but that puts me in unexpected depths.

Naturally, I agreed. Because I wanted to see if his subject and verbs did as well. They did. I found no errors. But I did find it a bit disconcerting to be one of "The Holders of Company Secrets." Cool, but disconcerting. I got out of NSA and DoD contracting so I wouldn't have to have secrets anymore. Oh, the things I promised I would never tell you or another soul ...

I'm also becoming More than an Editor. I've been asked to Write. This is also a bit of a shock. I came aboard to point fingers and make rude gestures at writers. Who in their right mind would want to be one? Naturally, therein lies a thoroughly unsubstantiated assumption about my mind. Editing is so much easier. I don't have to be a subject matter expert (except in English and business writing). I don't have to craft something out of nothing then submit it to a cruel review. But as they so tritely say, "now I are one." Soon, little anti-secret lover that I am, I can bare my innermost thoughts about a given topic and submit them to the merciless red scribblings of another editor. Yeeesh! This should be fun.

It gets better. I've been stuck in a room with a beautiful woman and asked to concentrate. I'd like to think I have just as much willpower as the next guy. I probably do, in fact. I just don't think the next guy has much willpower. I know I don't.

So, I'm finding it hard to keep my mind on my work. This woman is bright, well-spoken, and she writes very effectively. She also has over 15 years experience in the topic we've been asked to write about. Despite her intelligence, I find myself wanting to ... well, you know. Is that wrong? I'm a man. She's a woman. This is natural, isn't it? I mean, God made us this way. There must be a reason.

All I can say is thank goodness I'm married to her or this whole close quarters thing could get way out of hand. ;-)