This post is part of a 7-article series on the fears of writing. You can find all other articles here:
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, and Jurgen Wolff discusses it in his book Your Writing Coach. But 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.
