Sometimes I feel like an old truck. Out of gas, rusted, and falling apart… and all the parts are out of stock.
I’ll be turning 71 in about a week. In my last post, I talked about why I’m writing. Since then, I’ve been asking myself if I have enough time left to write. Is there enough gas in the tank to get a book finished and published?
So I did some searches. I found a site with a list of when some famous authors published their first book. The list ended at age 41 (Maya Angelou)! That was not encouraging. I kept searching and found some authors who started writing in their 50s, 60s, and later. Millard Kaufman, one of the creators of Mr. Magoo, published his first book when he was 90. Maybe there’s still hope for me!
Then I decided to find out when writers published their last book. Gold mine! The site listed a lot of authors in their 70s and beyond, including Herman Melville (72); J. G. Ballard (77); Agatha Christie (85); and Henry Miller (88).
So I’m not quite over the hill yet. A coat of paint, new tires, an oil change, and a tank of gas and I’ve got a few more miles left in me. Maybe I should get my shocks replaced too—the future could still be a bit bumpy.
And yesterday I watched the inauguration of President Joe Biden, who is assuming leadership of our country at 78. And then I watched the inaugural parade and saw him running across the street to talk to reporters. Damn, I can’t even do that right now!
So that’s one of my goals for this year: get over the effects of COVID-19 and get back in shape enough to be able to run across the street. Oh, and finish and publish at least two books. And then keep writing until I hit 90.
You’re never too old! Keep writing!
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay.
Ignore the calendar! It’s a mean thing in so many ways! Refuel the tank and go!
Thanks, Mark. I just set the date on my computer to 1993. I feel a lot better now!
Damn the torpedoes and just keep going until you no longer can! 🙂
Great article!
As someone who researches and writes about renovating classic cars – let me tell you, you ain’t seen nothing yet! You have lots of time and words ahead of you, so don’t let age define you. And I want to add my thanks to Janet’s – you’ve done an amazing job and I enjoy working with you.
Thanks for the encouragement, Terri. I’m doing my best to stay motivated, but it’s been an uphill battle for the past year—a battle we’ve all been fighting. I had a mild case of COVID and it wiped me out for months. I’ve finally gotten past most of the brain fog… I’m writing the rest off to OFS (Old Fart Syndrome), and my strength and endurance are s-l-o-w-l-y recovering.
I’m gradually getting back to writing. I’m using point number two from Mark Stevens’ recent post, 10 Reminders: ‘Write a little something every day”. And I remembered something I read years ago about a stay-at-home mother with three kids who finished a novel by writing in 15-minute sessions whenever she found some free time. So I’m on the road again!