Potty Training with Grand Analog

Trial & Tribulations of Freelance Writing: Vol. 1

Sometimes, the story going on behind the story is almost as interesting, even though it has nothing to do with the story itself.

I started writing late last year after I’d been home looking after my son for a year or so. I’d come to the conclusion that my prior career, maintaining websites for other people, was not going to bring me any lasting happiness, so I started writing to see if it would go anywhere. It’s definitely more interesting than managing code for others, but I think the most interesting aspect of my current position is the constant juggling act between writing and stay-at-home fatherhood, especially since my youngest is still too young to go to school.

Right now, I’ve got two big things going on in my life; I’m getting ready for music festival season (I write a lot about music) and I’m trying to potty train the little guy. While I’m trying to line up as many interviews as possible with musicians playing the big Toronto-area events this summer (North By North East, Toronto Jazz Festival), I’m trying to get my mini me to clue in that his time in diapers is rapidly coming to an end. Fortunately for me, he’s starting to clue in, and this week we’re have our first measurable success.

Yesterday I was lucky enough to get a phone interview with Odario Williams of the live hip-hop band Grand Analog, but when the time for the interview came around, the little one refused to get dressed. He’s been enjoying his progress, which makes it a lot easier for the most part, so he’s been doing everything in his power to be as naked as he can to facilitate easier potty access. I figure, “What the heck, it’s only going to be a few minutes, what can go wrong?”

Well, ten minutes into the interview, my little guy comes running into the bedroom (where I tape my interviews - it’s typically the quietest room in the house) to show me his latest triumph; he had for the first time successfully gone number two in the potty, and he had wiped his bottom with his hand to prove it to me.

Now, I’d like to say that I’m a consummate professional and that Odario had no idea what was going on this end of the phone line, but let’s face it - kids covered in poo make it difficult to concentrate. But I soldiered on and got most of my questions in, all the while cleaning up this horrific mess.

For any stay-at-home parents considering the same career path, here’s my recommendation - record your interviews on a phone with a ridiculously long cord. Having a possible fifteen to twenty foot stretch enabled me to get to the bathroom to get a damp cloth and go to town on the dude’s heiny while I was able to continue asking questions about Odario’s formative years growing up in Winnipeg. If you can get a good quality wireless, do so.

Any way, special thanks to Odario for being so unbelievably cool and bearing with me and the little guy. Look for the article with no mention of my son’s bodily functions to run at blogto.com around June 17 or so.

Photo by Adam G