On Lifetimes, Turning 30 and Learning to Write

I don't remember when I first saw this comic from Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal, but I do remember the impact it had on me.

See it for yourself here: SMBC Lifetimes

I think about this message a lot: that with the time we have in our lives, being alive, how can we spend it best? Do I want to spend my life complaining that I never have enough time? Do I want to be old and dying and think that I wasn't given enough opportunities or that I could have accomplished more if I only had had the chance?


I couldn't speak for everyone, but for myself I can be certain that I have had LOTS of opportunities; I have been given LOTS of chances. I was given the opportunity to grow up in a family that loved me and took care of me. I got to go to school and learn cool things, I got to use the magical technology of this modern era to explore my own forms of expression, chose the jobs I worked, and chose the values I believe in. When I was born, I was given the world to do with as I please. How can I make the most of that?

Whenever it was I first saw this comic, I decided that it was a principle that I wanted to make my life about. If nothing else, I wanted to be able to pick at least ONE thing every decade of my life (because I originally misread the comic and thought it suggested it took 10 years to master something instead of 7). In my 20's, for the most part, I picked knitting to master. I've gotten really good at it, too. I have made things that even I don't understand (see this post about experimentation) and all just for the pure joy of learning something and becoming good at it!

Now, as we all are standing on the edge of yesterday and looking at 2016 in front of us, I am also in my own personal state of transition. Behind me are my 20's and before me are my 30's. Don't panic. A very long time ago I decided that I am not bothered about getting older. 30 doesn't scare me; it excites me! I'm about to leave my post-adolescence and emerge as a full grown adult butterfly-unicorn and it's going to be awesome.

I've figured out what I want to try to "master" in my next lifetime... I want to master writing. What does that even mean, right? How does one become a master, who decides who's a master and who's just making stuff up? Well, I decide for me. That's how that works. I'm going to put my energy into become a good, readable writer who writes things people read. That's my goal for this decade. I'm still going to knit of course, and I'm going to also work on other stuff. But if there's something I'm going to be "obsessed" with (in a healthy way), it's going to be writing.

At this time of year, in the DEAD OF WINTER in the Pacific North West, being honest, Seasonal Affective Disorder (or whatever you want to call it ~ depression) kicks my butt. I lay in bed in the morning trying to come up with a way not to get out and do stuff. That's a real struggle for me, and I share that here to say that I don't always approach every day with the intent to make the most of my current lifetime.

But that being said, on days when I CAN get out of bed, and perhaps *gasp* the frakking SUN is out, I try to get motivated. I'm not waiting until I actually turn 30, too. I started three days ago... I wrote the first part of the first story I've ever shared publicly and I put it up for the world to see in Wattpad. It's not very good, but it's going to get better. I'm going to use some resources I have to learn to get better at writing, and my goal will be to publish something professionally by the time I turn 40.

I think I can do it.
Happy New Year!