7 Deadly Fears Explored: Too Old To Write
Over the holidays, my roommate and I were invited to my parents’ house for a Christmas party. We were the youngest people there; all the other guests were seniors.
Now, some might think the night would have been a boring experience. Let me tell you, today’s seniors are some of the most active and interesting people I know. Conversations revolved around physical activities – tennis, golf, dancing – and personal projects as well as home businesses and world travel. I hope that I’ll be as active as my parents and their friends in another 20 years.
I’m a literal jack of all trades. My friends often ask, “Is there anything you haven’t done?” I have a list of things I’d like to do before I kick the bucket. There aren’t many things left on there, but there are still a few and I’ll get around to them. I’m not really an expert at anything except for writing or graphics, but I’m content knowing that I can relate to almost any situation.
I believe that the longer you live, the more experience you have under your belt. I think my own life has lent itself well to a writing career. Writing, like wine, gets better with age.
It’s nice to have a specialty, but the more you diversify, the better you’ll write. As you age, you’ll have more material and wisdom to tap into that will put the younger writers to shame.
Take Sharon Cruse as an example. I had the pleasure of speaking with her at the party that night, and I was amazed at her vitality. Sharon has a rich past, is now retired and yet she’s still going strong. She’s print published several self-help bestsellers in several different languages, she has appeared on the Oprah and Phil Donahue shows, and she speaks at conferences and conventions worldwide. And like I said, she considers herself retired.
Man, if that’s retirement, bring it on!
What age and the fear of aging all come down to is a state of mind. You’re never too old to write and you’re always young enough to live. In today’s world, there’s no reason to spend your golden years in a rocker on the front porch.
Unless, of course, that’s exactly where you want to be.
7 Responses to “7 Deadly Fears Explored: Too Old To Write”
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yeah i’m a bit of a jack of all trades as well. started off as toolmaker, then technical rep, now web developer. and i’m also interested in writing. mmm, what next?
At my age the range of topics on which I can write is amazing ! However, I find as I get older I have to be careful because sometimes I feel my rose-colored glasses slipping down over my eyes.
Therefore, I am more of a writing machine than I was ten years ago but my objectivity has to be kept in check!
Thanks for the great topics!
Great post!
I so relate – I definitely get better as I get older. And all the many, many different things I’ve done in my life make me a far more interesting person. And you better believe I’m not done yet! I can’t wait for my own retirement, because then I’ll FINALLY have the time to do all the things I want to do.
Thanks everyone!
@Kim: I have the opposite problem, my glasses are jade tinted. I tend to get a little too cynical at times and have to stop myself from saying things like, “Back in my day, we had to walk ten miles to school in ten feet of snow, uphill – both ways!” I’m not that old (after all, isn’t 40 the new 30?), but sometimes I have moments where I wonder if I’m getting too old. That lasts for all of two seconds.
@Jansie: One thing I promised myself when I first entered the workforce as a teen was if I had to work, it was going to be something interesting. I hated retail, couldn’t sell my way out of a paper bag; refused to flip burgers or other food service industries; and never had a paper route (my parents did and I still can’t stand the smell of newsprint). I think my first real job was working in a t-shirt print shop. After that, I worked for a locksmith, did a summer lifeguarding, taught martial arts, worked in a veterinary office, drove carriages, and worked in the production department of a small local publishing company. Through it all, I’ve always written, but never considered writing as a career. Now, so much of what I’ve done lends itself to what I do today.
@Christie: I’m not done yet either. The way I look at it, I won’t ever have to retire. With writing you can just keep going, and going, and going…
As I’ve always said, “You’re only as old as your friends think you are.” That said, I have been feeling a bit old lately. I’ve looked back on the last seventeen years or so (ever since the dumb idea struck me that I should be a writer) and thought, “Man, that went fast.” Which isn’t so bad until I think, “And I bet the next seventeen fly by in less than half that time.”
So, with that said, I’d better click ‘Submit Comment’ now and get back to writing. No time to lose!
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