First Day

My grandparents used to have a plaque in their home that read, "Today is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life" ... and I never really got it until now, and the age of 37.

Here I am. I have quit my career of 18 years. One day I woke up and realized that I couldn't go back and live that life one more day. I was physically sick at the thought of it! I didn't like who I was when I was there - it was a person I didn't even recognize. It wasn't anything huge or tragic ... I was just so unhappy. I had fallen out of love with my job, my career, all of it. And I was starting to really hate the woman that looked back at me in the mirror.

So there goes that identity. I have worked in the medical field all of my adult life. Now who am I? Now what do I do?

The puzzle pieces fell into place in such a smooth order it couldn't be anything but karma, or serendipity ... or whatever you want to call it. The opportunity presented itself to me when I was at my lowest point ... I could actually quit my job, spend every day with my husband and kids, and work full time as a writer.

You see, I won my first story contest at age 10 (a blue ribbon, I might add) and was hooked. I have written almost constantly ever since - in everything from dollar-store spiral notebooks to fancy cloth-covered journals. Then all of those events above came about, and my husband asked me what I would do if I could have any career in the world. The words popped out of my mouth before I thought about it ... but I really didn't have to. I want to be a writer ... for real. I want to put "writer" in those little boxes for occupation on forms. I was always proud of my job before and I loved talking about my work ... but it was always work for someone else. Especially making money for someone else. I want to work for ME!

I want to be a published author ... and I want to make just enough money so I can keep right on writing. I'm not looking for or expecting to become rich - comfortable would be just fine with me.

So off I go into my new life. I get to get up with my kids in the morning and get them off to school and then come home and write for hours on end. Or I can go to the library and do research if I want. Then I go pick up the kids, help with homework, do all the full-time Mom stuff I never could do on a regular basis. And if I get a great idea in the middle of the night, I can get up and write as long as I want and not have to worry about it affecting my patients in clinic or (worse still) surgery the next day.

This is so cool!