Things Yet to Come

I found this picture this week of the Antares rocket launch taking supplies to the ISS. It is a powerful picture and it made me wonder when we will land and live on another planet?

The possibilities are only limited by our imaginations to create the next generation spacecraft to get us there. Pretty lofty goals for sure.

But, we are powerfully creative creatures and we are only limited by ourselves. This image and listening to Joanna Penn’s 10th anniversary podcast this week helped me to realize many things. One of which you are never too old to create, to learn to start something new. To strike out on a new adventure. We are often conditioned to do these things when we are young. That the world is what you make of it and that when you are older you are sort of expected to just sit back, relax and reflect on your youth. I say, forget that! Who better to create that people who have already traveled, had the time to read more, experience more, learn more. I didn’t publish my first book until I was fifty, despite having written many stories and poems. I was always too busy doing other things, going to school, having a career some (not all) of the things you are often expected to do. But, I ask you regardless of your age, why wait? Do it now! Who cares how old you are, who cares what you have or haven’t done, there is nothing that says you might do this thing before you can do the next. If you’re retired, don’t sit back and think, ‘if I was younger I would learn to do <insert the thing you wish you had done>. go do it. Go do it. No told me ‘oh you are too old to publish a book’ but if they had I would have told them to bugger off.

I think people of a certain age should be publishing more books, they are the people with the experience and the stories to share. People over a certain age have already had many experiences just by sheer time spent on this earth. Can you imagine the stories a grandmother could write? Imagine, the stories a person of a certain age who has seen so many changes during their lifetime could share with the world? These experiences are a goldmine for fictional stories and even non-fiction.

So those of you who may be reading this who aren’t in their 20’s 30 or maybe even 40’s share your story in whatever form that takes. You’ve got one in there, let it out! The world will be a richer place having read or heard your story.