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I'm losing count...

No, no, no, I'm not losing my memory or my mind (for the most part). What I'm losing count of is my age. I find myself forgetting, counting on my fingers. Is there a time when age becomes somewhat irrelevant? When I was 29 the thought of turning 30 was a BIG thing. The end of my twenties - it held such mixed emotions. Thirty was a big deal. It meant being grown up. It meant looking at life differently. I don't know if I really did. Maybe it was more to do with feelings than actions. And then came the BIG 40. Half a lifetime over. A time to evaluate. A time for a mid-life crisis? At least, for me, a mid-life change. Time to do what I always wanted to do but kept telling myself I had time. Now it seemed like time for a change was running out. That's when I tore up my social work license and committed myself to writing. Turning 40 turned out to be great. A real new beginning. A new sense of excitement, involvement, adventure. And yes, suffering rejections, struggling, feeling the lows as well as the highs. But it has been worth it all. I found my identity. I published a lot of books and it felt like I was leaving a part of myself to posterity. My children, their children, my books...I would go on.

A couple of years ago I added a new adventure to my life although I still write although publishing is getting harder and I struggle to find new ideas, find what I really want to write about. I wait to hear about my latest manuscript that is out to publishers, I put books up on ebook at Kindle, I attend conferences, join groups. But I still had time on my hands. I still wanted more adventure, activity. Mostly, I wanted to keep my brain cells active. So, for many reasons, I started selling collectibles and antiques, etc. on eBay with a friend. We mainly cleaned out our basements and sold our own stuff. And when, sadly, she passed away, I found an even stronger need to go on with our plans. But my basement was cleaned out. I began going to estate sales, tag sales, and mostly auctions. I began researching, learning about things I never knew anything about before. It has been invigorating. And what I think is, it has had a big effect on why I've lost count of my age. I'm just too busy. And I've learned something. There really isn't all that much in a number. It's all about the living.

I notice I rarely get comments but I know there are a lot of hits on my blog. I'd really love to hear from any of you out there, share in a dialogue or just read your thoughts and opinions and your own experiences.

http://www.elisetitle.com/p/get-books.html

Comments

  1. janiceMarch 13, 2011 at 6:31 PM

    Elise, I just found your blog. Thank you! I can SO relate to so much of what you write. I started a little cottage business for myself a couple of years ago. I am doing photographic note cards and am loving selling them to bookstores and gift shops. (www.jgfischel.com) Josh is married and happily living in Somerville. WE are still in Hanover and life is good - and you are right - the age # doesn't hurt nearly as much as I feared it might. Janice Fischel

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