38 years old…

June 16th, 2020, I turn 38. In two years I’ll be 40 and on the downhill slide as people look at it. If you’d asked me 20 years ago where I’d be, I never would have thought: married, three kids (one of which a teenager), and working in a factory. I’d hoped to be writing, which I am, but it would be nice to be sitting on a nice big publishing deal or something.

I got to my day job this morning and was talking to this new kid from third shift. I say kid because, turns out he’s 19. I’m officially twice the age of a coworker. The next milestone would be when there are coworkers younger than my kids.

So I made a comment about the music I was playing on the stereo and he mentioned he writes songs, music and lyrics, the whole nine yards. I asked him if he’s done anything with it and he got shy and said no. I instantly saw a flashback to when I started writing and never let anyone read or see any of it. I didn’t publish my first book until I was 32.

I told him this, and I said to him. Go for it. Don’t wait. Don’t waste years wishing you had tried it. Even if you lay down the tracks and post it to iTunes yourself. I told him about my cousins son who did this and actually made some money doing it.

I hope he took my advice and he goes home, dusts off those sheets of paper and gives it a try. I’m sure I’ll see him around. So I’ll try to keep encouraging him.

It’s a small thing but it made me feel good to talk to him and maybe help him a little. Something put him in my path today. Whether you believe in Fate or Karma or any of that stuff. I do, and I feel good about the conversation. My spirit and my drive to pursue my dreams is bolstered. I hope his is too.

See ya around Gentle Readers. Hopefully I have some news about Family Heritage Book 3 soon.

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Spell a Day – Jan 10th 2016

SleepDream

Today we are suppose to talk about dreams. The picture is our bigger dog, Moose. He is taking a little nap on the couch as there was nothing going on this day. He gets a little squirmy when he is bored.

To dream, at least the dreams we are to talk about today, one must be asleep. I don’t know about all of you my gentle readers, but Sleep can be a fickle mistress for sure. There are weeks where I am lucky to get 4 hours of sleep. There are times I have such vivid dreams that I have trouble waking up. It is where many a poem or story idea has come from. Now if I could just get them all down on paper I would have at least a dozen books on the market right now.

I have tried everything to get to sleep, even blending up special teas from ingredients known for helping one sleep. The best method I have found for falling asleep fast is merely to focus on breathing and willing my muscles to relax. My wife is driven nuts by my ability to fall asleep by controlling my breathing. I guess it is a form of meditation but I never studied meditation too deeply. I have trouble quieting the voices in my head for that, unless I am trying to fall asleep, then they just wait to attack my dreams.

I found an older poem I never shared with all of you on here that talks about sleep and dreams. I had a severe cold and sleeping with a stuffed nose is no fun. If you have never experienced that, count yourself lucky.

No Sleep
Head full of cotton
No rest for me on this night
A sinus clogged death

Eyes are wide open
Staring at the clock all night
No restful dream sleep

What is there to do
No pill works in the slightest
To end my torment

The quiet taunts me
As sleep eludes my doomed grasp
Until morning comes

 

Feel free to share your sleep deprivation remedies in the comments and see you next time.