Just multiply the candles by a number larger than pi. . .
Putting
the books on hold today to reflect a bit about. . . a half-century of living. HOLY BOVINES, DID I SAY A HALF CENTURY?? Fifty years seems to require some response. Something besides the "label me brain-dead and ship me to Texas" moment I had this morning. . . when I showed up at the gym for my swim, only to realize (well into the changing process) that the pack containing my swim stuff (like a suit, you know) was still at home. On the floor of the garage where I set it down to put on my jacket and lift down the bike. Since they don't let you swim nude in our pool, I had a nice ride and a weight workout. The pool will still be there tomorrow. Maybe the suit, too.
In a way,
it's odd to be reflecting on my life using a wireless keyboard and an
iPad. I grew up in an era of
black-and-white TVs and manual typewriters.
I don't think the changes of the last 50 years compare with the changes
my grandparents lived through--my maternal grandmother crossed Washington State
in a covered wagon and lived to see the beginning of the internet era (I'm not
sure she was very aware of that, but certainly the computer era was well under way before she died in 1991). But I do love my computer, and the internet is a wondrous thing.
I've read
a number of books lately on being or becoming a writer, and seen mention more than once of reasons people find for not starting.
One of those (as the writers of the writing books speculate) is "I'm too old.
I'm already 50." I'm here to
say that 50 isn't old. I published my
first book last year, when I was still 48.
But I'm just getting started on this career, and I am happy to say that
it doesn't feel like I'm too old.
So if you
are thinking about it. . . don't count your years. Count the hours you can find to write
instead. And then sit down and have a
heckuva fun time doing it.
I am.
(I will return soon to my regularly scheduled programming. . . don't touch that dial!)
P.S. A is for Alpine is now up as a paperback on Amazon.
P.S. A is for Alpine is now up as a paperback on Amazon.
I just ran a post on my blog written by author Pat Stoltey that debunks the "I'm too old" theory. She started writing when she retired and at 71 has two published books to her name and working on more! She's my hero. Here's to us half-century folks.
ReplyDeleteHalf a century--bah, that's nothing. Right? :D
Delete50!? That's young!! The older I get I realize how young I am. ;) In the immortal words of Aaliyah, "Age Ain't Nothing But a Number"
ReplyDelete... of course she was referring to the fact that she was mature and experienced for her (young) age. Still... lol
Maybe I can now celebrate being immature and inexperienced for my age? Used to be, there were two things I figured I'd have done well before 50: cut my hair short and learned to dress like an adult.
DeleteNope. Neither. And looking less likely all the time.