You have to fly to be free!
Life has a way of happening.
Remember the bumper sticker from Forrest Gump? Shit happens.
So does life, and almost always not the way we planned.
The limits of opportunity, and the currents of expectations often sweep us away when we’re young. Our elders urge us to be practical. So I became a teacher of language and raised a family. Then I had so many years invested in teaching, it wasn’t practical to change careers.
We have obligations, responsibilities, restrictions. Our loved ones depend on us. We have to make that mortgage payment and pay the electric bill. Stability gives us security, and we and our families need that.
By the time we are in our 50’s or 60’s, it’s even more difficult to change course. We may be nearing the end of a full career but want something more.
So now what?
I’m likely in the last year of my teaching career, and retirement looks like a precipice. I am headed right for it, and I don’t know what awaits me.
Keep in mind I am speaking from a place of fragile self-esteem. I crumble under criticism, sensitive to scrutiny of any kind. It’s much easier to hide under the fear of failure than to brave success.
But those dreams from our younger years still live. Is it too late?
Is it ever too late?
I had dreams of being a published writer. I’ve written poetry, short stories, fragments of books, and have journalled for years.I even wrote a few pieces for print newspapers when they still had a paying audience–a tiny taste of what might be possible.
As I begin writing again, I expect to feel some satisfaction and to encounter some challenges. I’ve already encountered both. In the coming months, I hope to find fulfillment and a modest income to supplement my retirement.
I am stepping off the cliff, and I still don’t know if I will soar or fall flat on my face.
How do I direct my course? A tip of the wing here, a slight adjustment there…
What I didn’t expect? Others flying with me, to curb the turbulence. Look at the view!
I feel light and free!
Can anyone relate? Are you struggling with a turning point in your life, a pivotal moment in which you might change the trajectory of your future? It’s terrifying, but exhilarating!
Give yourself permission to go for it, to take the chance, to put yourself out there.
In the smallest and largest of ways, step out and fly!
© 2024 Joyce Martin. All rights reserved
Note: None of my content is AI generated.
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Joyce, nice post. If you do indeed choose retirement, I wish you all the best. It’s different for everyone, of course…I retired several years ago and while I miss seeing my friends, getting coffee, hearing the latest… the unfettered freedom I have is, as you say, exhilarating. “Six Saturdays and a Sunday”😎
And no… it’s never too late! Age is just a number and whatever your dreams are, wherever your passion lies, go for it! You won’t regret it.
If I could just offer one bit of advice… perhaps get a book on preparing for retirement. There’s a lot to consider… financially, socially, personally… and there are a few things that are better done before vs after you step out the door for the last time 😎
I appreciate the thoughtful advice. Mine will not be full retirement, as that is not financially feasible. Yet I hope to have a more flexible and less strenuous work schedule. My whole world turned upside down when my partner Robert passed of a heart attack on Jan. 27th. I am still reeling from the loss. I need to take some time and reevaluate everything.