Writing is probably the poorest-paid hard work on the planet. (An erudite discussion of why this is so—written by a former senior editor at Random House—may be found at http://bnreview.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Reviews-Essays/Redactor-Agonistes/ba-p/1367.)
But, here I am, in my seventieth year, working my buns off and having a ball!
Why do I do it? Certainly not for fame or fortune. The odds of obtaining either through writing are about as good as winning the lottery. (In fact, I’d opine that if a person spent the time working at a fast-food restaurant instead of writing and invested the wages in lottery tickets, the odds of becoming wealthy would be better. Refer to the above website for authority on that opinion.)
I write because I enjoy entertaining people—pure and simple. If I can make this world a better place by providing you with a few hours of enjoyment, that’s all I want.
But, I gotta be careful. The GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out) principle applies to human minds as well as it does to computers. In providing entertainment, I incur an obligation to you. My late wife used to call me “Eyore” because that Pooh character typified my attitude—I could find a downside to anything. It wasn’t a happy way to live. The garbage that had gone into my brain from our educational system, society, and the media produced depression, unrest and sorrow. Somewhere around my sixty-third year, I found peace and happiness. I didn’t find Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, or Jim Jones; I found a path leading to me! Yup, It took me sixty-three years of living to realize that each one of us has a spiritual path to follow. Life on that path is a wonderful experience, but it carries an obligation to impact our world. So, I write to encourage you to find your path. It is not given to me to know whether your path should start with Animism, Taoism, Voodoo or Fundamental Christianity. The only thing I should do is to encourage you to seek. If you are already on your path, I hope to inspire you toward greater respect for others and their individual paths.
I would certainly appreciate your opinion regarding whether or not my stuff entertains and encourages you.
Really? The hell you say.
John A. Burnham's blog — One Fiction Writer's World 
My perspective..Life is nothing more that a list of experiences. The ones that we want people to see are marked by cairns that we put up, the other are just an experience.Each of us has a purpose and the “path” we choose can lead to fulfillment or chaos.
Cheers
Hi John,
Somewhere I’ve seen comments from you on the Laws of Attraction principles and related philosophies, maybe on your Facebook page, and in some book reviews.
Some of the thinking and actions of your characters reflect similar musings. It would be interesting to see you blog further on these ideas – how they apply to your writing; creating positive, non-violent story lines; challenges in getting published; and every day examples that help you become more creative.
Really enjoyed The Kitten Burglar, can’t wait to see her further adventures – how she uses parts of various philosophies to develop her personality and continue her contributions to the world at large.
LC