58

On the old blog, I annually posted on my birthday as a way to reflect on the pervious year and look ahead. Those entries are snapshots in my personal history that I read every year -- reliving the markers in time and events that impacted me. A couple of past entries are interesting given some upcoming events. On my 48th birthday, I wrote about my upcoming 30th class reunion. My 40th will happen this fall. In 2017, while turning 50, I talked about the anxiety of my first novel being released. My second novel will release soon, so I'm reliving all of that once more. The final birthday post on the old blog commemorated my 54th birthday. I tried to continue the annual birthday stuff on my author's website, but it wasn't the same. Frankly, I didn't enjoy managing a website. I'm not successful enough to employ someone to do it for me, so I shut that down at the beginning of this year. 

So, where am I now? 58 arrived yesterday while surrounded by my wife, our adult children, and their children. We're up to five grandkids now. Being Paw Paw and Dee Dee is just about the best thing there is. There is a joy in being a grandparent that simply cannot be matched. Life is good, for the most part.

Yet, I feel a tugging toward something. A restlessness, if you will. What's next? 60 is on the horizon, after all. I likely have more years behind me than I do ahead of me. According to numerology, "the energy represented by the numerology number 58 has a focus on building a secure foundation for the future." There is also interpretations of the number 58 centered around sincerity, conscientiousness, playfulness, focus, pragmatism, and adventure. There's a lot there to unpack, I suppose, but it sounds like...

FUN FACT: People tell me I look like Martin Freeman

If aging has taught me anything, it's that any adventure is there to be found. But you have to go looking. I have things I want to do, for sure. I'm not done. Mainly, I want to create. Write. Tell stories. Get those stories in front of people. I spent much of my 57th year feeling tentative, timid, anxious, and even fearful. Current cultural, societal, and political toxicity plays a big part in that. But also, it's mostly me just getting in my own way. 

My intention for 58 is simply to be more adventurous. I've often said that I don't mind ageing, but I refuse to grow old. What adventures await? Well, the new book is a start. Someone Else's Book Club is a prequel of sorts to my first novel, Kilroy Was Here. The final manuscript is done. It's ready. I just have to get it published and released. I'm going on vacation for a week, so when I get back I'll get to work on that. More to come. I'll just say this. I loved writing it. Someone Else's Book Club was not the book I sat down to write, but the more I got into it, the deeper in love with it I fell. I'm excited for people to read it. But also...

Also, I'm going to write more here. I used to do movie reviews, TV reviews, share thoughts on what I've been reading, and all other forms of goofball crap. So, I'll be doing that after my vacation, too. I say that often, of course. but my ache to get stuff out of my head is insufferable. I realize not many may read. But I remind myself that I'm writing for me for than anyone. I just hope others wouldn't mind reading. I guess I'm asking you to join me on the adventure. 

Here's to 58. We'll check back in next year to see what lies ahead for 59.