My birthday is coming. Too many people dread birthdays. I don’t. I celebrate them. That “Yahoo” in the title of this post isn’t a reference to a well-known digital company; it’s an exclamation of delight!
I may not be thrilled to be older, the way I was when I was a kid and each advanced age carried with it some privilege like more autonomy, being allowed to stay up later or, when I was 16, getting my learner’s permit (and eventually, on the second try, my license). But at this age the opposite of growing older isn’t growing younger; it’s dying. Just yesterday I learned that a woman I knew had died. She was only 55. I take it from the wording of the announcement (on Facebook) that her death was a sudden surprise.Reaching another birthday means I’ve lived through another year…but what’s even better, I have a brand-new year ahead of me.
Since I love, LOVE, LOOOOOVE my life and especially my career, another year to enjoy is that most enticing of prospects. What will this year bring? I’m sure I’ll write more books. I’m pretty sure I’ll also do more writing and editing for clients. I never know what other opportunities might cross my professional horizon. To give you just one example, in the past I have been a TV host and producer. A local station carried two different shows of mine, several years apart. I hosted and produced both. It was great fun!
But as much as I enjoyed it, I was glad the show ran weekly rather than daily. I would never give up writing in order to be on TV—or for any other reason I can think of, short of a health catastrophe robbing me of my abilities. Plain and simple, I love to write.
Sheesh, I’m even enjoying writing this blogpost, although I’ll admit that some weeks I have a devil of a time coming up with a topic.
There’s an old expression: She has ink in her veins. I think that fits me.
Last year, I combined my annual birthday party—yes, I fete myself every year, celebrating with as many people as I can cram into the small living room of this little condo apartment—with a book launch. This year the timing’s off: I have five new books coming out this fall, but I don’t think any of them will be out quite in time for my party. So this will be a “pure” birthday party with no commercial overtones.
But I’m sure I’ll be TALKING about my books. I love to “talk shop”—not only about my own books but about about writing in general, editing in general, the publishing industry overall…. Like I said, I have ink in my veins.
I have always said I will never retire and will probably die at the keyboard. Whoever finds me will have to pry my cold fingers from the keys. LOL.
But I hope I have a few good decades left in me. And you know that, whatever else I find myself doing—more TV shows??—some other new adventure??—I’ll surely still be writing.
How many new books will I have had published between my birthday this October and October of ’17 when my NEXT birthday rolls around?
Boo-hoo? No way! I’m CELEBRATING. Yahoo indeed!
Happy birthday to me!