In only a week, I’ll be 60. That just can’t be right, can it?
As I look back over a lifetime of writing — most of it unpublished and rightly so — I realize there are stories I literally could not have written any earlier. My high school and college self didn’t have the understanding I have at 60, nor the experiences. I can honestly say I’ve been a storyteller all my life, but an actual writer, not nearly as long.
I’m working on a little project for the day, inspired by Bono from U2, who hit the big 6-0 himself a few months ago. He published 60 Songs That Changed My Life (along with sending fan letters to all 60 musicians). I was thinking 60 Books myself, though I’m not planning to write any letters. It’s going to take some thought and a bit of Googling to come up with 60 favorites. I read like most people eat popcorn. 60 books out of a list of millions is quite a bit of work.
I figure I have at least another 20-30 years to write, gods-willing. I plan to remain sharp enough to write, too. If I ever lose my love of learning and my curiosity about the universe, someone slip me an overdose of morphine or something because I’ll already be gone and nobody noticed. I think the secret to staying young mentally is to stay curious, willing to try new things, and able to deal with changes.
What about you? How old are you and how do you feel about it? Plan on writing for a long time or what?