--<-@ Over 30 SW Writers Club! @->--

Leona, sorry to hear that. I hope that things will improve for you.

 

What do you think of your age?

At the risk of sounding 'prosaic'...every age in my life has been preparing me for where I am today. Where I am now is preparing me for where I'll be later. So, I guess I'd say I'm enjoying the journey. I just don't think it's fair that I'm starting to get wrinkles and still get zits!!!

Do you wish you were twenty-something again?

I wouldn't want to be a 20 something again. I had so much to work out from my yucky childhood and all. I like knowing who I am and having the maturity that has come with eating chocolate chip ice cream whenever I want to.

Have you benefited from your age or not? Things to ponder.

Definitely benefitted. Experience can be a great teacher if we let.

 

* hugs Leona *

I'm so sorry to hear that. My best wishes for you. I believe that a good, strong person as you are will be able to make it through this better than ever. * hugs again *

 

I hear ya, but don't forget the gray hair and things that go sag...

 

Leona

 

**goes out to rose garden and cuts a beautiful bouquet of mixed colored roses and sends them to Leona**

Hope this brightens your day

 

diane and Leona!



What do you think about your age?

I?m comfortable with it. I?m young enough to do pretty much anything I want, but old enough to buy anti-wrinkle face cream, LOL. Though I am continually startled by how often my mother is starting to appear in my mirror?


Do you embrace it or do you wish you were twenty-something again?

Twenties were fine, but I wouldn?t want to do them again. The pros: graduating from college, getting married, having babies. The associated cons: working full time/burning out, marital adjustments, post-partum depression. The cons took a much heavier toll.


How have you benefited from your age or not?

I am more compassionate now than I was as a younger woman. I have realized that time stops for no one and that, one day, I could very well be the elderly lady driving below the speed limit down the road or fumbling through her change purse at the grocery store. I hope, when the time comes, that karma/the golden rule will come back around and the whippersnappers behind me will be gracious.

 

Hey, Leona, I know how you feel! Last time I dated was in 1985 . Really scary to start all over again.

LOL! Me too...

I guess I shouldn't complain because nobody gives me the age I have (which can also mean that I'm completely immature) but some days I wish I'd have my twenty-something body back!

 

Age (maturity I guess one would call it), has given me better tools to deal with everyday things. Like I'm developing more patience, not sweating the small stuff like I used to and learning to be more forgiving. I still don't have to like the wrinkles, spider veins or gray hair though

 

Scary, isnt' it?

 

oh yeah! that's the best part!

well, having so recently escaped my 20s, i am in no rush to go running back there. i'm very much looking forward to what my 30s will be like. (31 in September).

i like being 30, i've had some rough patches, but they seem to straighten themselves out a bit easier and i feel like i'm finally beginnig to learn from my mistakes and pay attention to what my inner self really needs instead of what i think it needs.

i think the only things i'm a bit scared of is accepting that finding love will be a bit harder as i get older and deciding that it's okay to be alone with myself, that i'm cool enough on my own.

and accepting that it's going to only get harder to lose those 15 pounds i've been wanting to lose for years now.

on the plus side, though, some things have become easier with time. i've found an inner source of strength that i didn't know was there when i was younger and knowing that i don't have to look to the future with such trepidation is a blessing. i know that even if my path decides to veer off wildly, like suddenly taking up writing, for example , i can adjust and appreciate the change more easily.

 

Halliujua for that my freind...

On the topics:

What do you think of your age?

It depends, if I were to be wholey honest - As Leona said above, let me keep my life experiances and knowlege and give me a new clone body.



Do you wish you were twenty-something again?

Only if I can rent the body for a few days - and have the fore knowlege I have right now - and unlimited time/space (earth) travel. (Nefarious purpouses with a certain young actor... ) but other than that, no.


Have you benefited from your age or not? Things to ponder.


To say 'no', I would be a fool... it's not the years, it's the milage and despite the milage, I want to think it's been a good ride...

 

What do you think about your age?
I don't have a problem with it any more. When I first turned 30, I was totally depressed. when I turned 40, it was fine. I'll be 45 this Thursday and it's just another birthday. I'm fortunate to look a little younger than I really am and I've got very few gray hairs (as opposed to my husband who grayed in his late 20s.)

Do you embrace it or do you wish you were twenty-something again?
I don't want to go back. I was stressed in my 20s. Finishing college, getting married, having babies, being poor. My husband and I are new emptynesters and though I miss my boys, it's nice just being with my husband and having the money to do things.

How have you benefited from your age or not?
Yes, I have learned a lot over the past 25 years. I'm still a worrywart but it's not as bad as when I was younger. I have a much better understanding about human nature too.

Things to ponder. Just don't take too long, we're all getting older by the minute.
Only physically. I feel younger emotionally - or maybe it's just that I don't care as much about what people think of me any more.

 

*whoooo! I hear you sister!

And RM rocks in person - we'll be raising a toast to yoou tonight!

 

What do you think about your age?
I don't think too much about my age. I just take each day as it comes. Although it is surreal... I used to say that my parents were older than dirt, and now my kids say that about me. Go figure.

Do you embrace it or do you wish you were twenty-something again?
I wouldn't go back to being twenty-something if you paid me! Being in my thirties is so much better than being in my twenties. There was too much stress involved with that age dealing with college, etc. Yeah, my job is stressful at times, but I wouldn't give it up for the alternative.

How have you benefited from your age or not?
Absolutely, I've benefited. I have become so much more relaxed and accepting of what life offers me. And to see the growth in my family is something that you can't put a value on. It's great!

Cheers,
Wyo

 

You DO know that's a southern expression, don't you Wyo?

 

Oh my...I don't know whether to laugh or cry reading some of these (guess I'll do both!)...

I was 30 in January - I hated it. I still hate it. But then I have trouble with change lol - so that's just me.

Diane said something back then (have no idea what page) when I first posted here...something about trying something new each year after she turned 30. Diane those words still ring in my head now - you made me think 'Yes! She's right!' You're part of the reason I even considered going to Russia and you probably don't even remember saying that to me. So I just wanted to say thank you!

and hugs to everyone (whether falling apart or getting wrinkles, zits and grey hair)...at least we're all in good company!

 

Kes, good luck with the Russia thing. I do try to do something different every single year. Am still doing it - although breaking my leg last year wasn't on the menu... Life is to be lived!


I really love Lee Ann womack's I hope you dance. I try to live by that.

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat
But always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed
I hope you still feel small
When you stand by the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance

 

I would like to thank each and everyone of you for responding to my question regarding aging. Age is a tough issue any way you cut it. I laughed and cried at your heartfelt personal responses and shared thoughts. Thanks again.

So now I would like to advance our discussion on age...

I simply can't wait to hear your responses, so let's go.

Hope you don't mind me throwing out these questions?

 

How has age affected your writing? In general? Style? Content? At what age did you become serious about writing? What influenced you to write?

I don't think age in itself has affected my writing at all. The experiences I've had make a difference in content however. I feel comfortable writing about children since I've had a couple. Plus I think I can write about older people more realistically than someone just out of school.

As for style and what I choose to write, since I write things that are all over the place - drama, humor, angst, horror, silliness, I don't think age has anything to do with it. Plus my style varies with the genre anyway.

I started when I was about 50. I had no idea I'd ever write - I costume and quilt as hobbies but someone said something about how Obi-Wan would react in a story I was reading and when I challenged that idea, they blew me off. I decided to write it just to prove that it was possible that Obi-Wan would do such a thing. It came out pretty well for my first story, too.

Serious about writing? I've always been serious about writing the best possible story but, to me, serious implies that I'd be willing to do it for money and that's not happening. It's a hobby. Money would make it a job and I already have one. Unless I'm misinterpreting the question?

What influences me to write? You mean inspiration for stories or what motivation do I have for writing?
Inspiration - the oddest things or the most simple things are inspiration. Motivation - the words won't let me alone...LOL... and the stories just have to be written. Simple as that.

 

[old man voice]Well it has made my writing slower, like everything else, and the arthritis... don't even get me started on the arthritis. Then there is the bursitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome... [/old man voice]

Ok, enough joking around... In general my writing has matured with age. I have more experience to use as a foundation for my writing and can write about some things with more personal knowledge (ie: romance). My style I think has become much smoother as I have gained more understanding about grammar and word usage.

Although I wrote all through my education years (they wouldn't let me graduate otherwise) I didn;t get serious about writing stories until about 2-3 years ago. That's when the writing bug bit me and left a big, itchy welt on my back where I cant reach to scratch it! Writing has been like an addiction ever since.

I think my writing is influenced mostly by the simple need to write. It doesn't matter what I am writing, just the desire to sit and put thoughts to paper or type them out is the biggest influence for me.

Cheers,
Wyo

 

Thank you Princess C for these intriguing questions. A lot of my answers are similar to the previous authors'.

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How has age affected your writing?

The only thing that age has afforded me is more confidence to do the writing. I wish I'd had better english teachers in college and I might've pursued writing at that time.


In general? Style? Content?

I think I have a more mature outlook on things because of experience in life. And then somedays I write such absolutely silly things that some people have mistaken me for a teen. Really, this happened here...not too long ago.

At what age did you become serious about writing?

I have always written things. Plays for puppet shows, skits for church, I am kind of known for that. I've also written quite a few songs in my career as music teacher, mind you they are on the preschool level. I've helped my son with writing projects and thought to myself, I should write some myself.

Then I found 'The force.net' and discovered FF. WoW! I loved the stuff I read and wondered if I could possibly do that. I registered in December, but it wasn't until March that I got a master and wrote something. The first time I posted, my hands were sweating....

What influenced you to write?

Great stories. Pro-fic and Fan-fic. Sometimes I feel like I have all these stories inside me that just HAVE to get out or I'll explode! I can't imagine not writing now. Also the people here are the most supportive people I've ever met. Great influence.