This year Farm Aid was held in my little town of Saratoga Springs, NY, and I got to spend a beautiful day in the audience. It was a lot of fun. Lots of farmer advocacy, lots of great music. As darkness fell a bunch of cigarette puffing bozos surrounded me and I slipped out and watched the excellent webcast from the comfort of home.
That was when I got to see Neil Young do something that every freelancer would love to do—tell some jerkoff to go f*ck himself. Neil was meandering between songs, talking about a musician he knew who committed suicide, and an audience member became impatient and called out, “Come on, let’s go!”
Neil Young at this point stops in his tracks and says, “Come on, let’s go? Did I hear ‘come on, let’s go?’ Buddy, I work for ME!” After a long awkward moment the music resumes.
This is what it’s all about, isn’t it? As freelancers we give up the certainty of a paycheck, benefits and predictable hours for the chance to be our own boss. At least we get to call our shots, though. And possibly you have had the pleasure of telling an impossible client it is time to part ways. It’s a mixed blessing: on the one hand, you may be eating kibble for a few weeks. But on the other, you exercised an option to maintain your integrity that would not be available if you worked for someone else.
Neil Young’s 2013 Farm Aid performance is archived on YouTube. It’s great stuff… just the man and his harmonica, guitar and piano completely filling the stage. “Come on, let’s go” is toward the end, just before he plays “Changes” by Phil Ochs who did indeed commit suicide. Listen, appreciate, and give a virtual high five to another freelancer who is not going to compromise on principles.