This quote is so very true, isn't it? I can still remember sitting in class in senior year of high school, selecting colleges and majors, and looking at my best friend next to me as I struggled to make the right decision. "I really want to be a writer," I told Kitty, "but you can't make a living doing that." I hoped she would tell me I was wrong, encourage me to follow my heart, but of course she knew no more than I did. As she nodded her head in agreement, I sadly made what I thought was the responsible decision.
I had no one to advise me. I was a creative, a writer and a musician, but I had no idea you could choose a career that would allow you to embrace those integral parts of yourself while still making a living. So I did what so many creatives do--I did what I thought was necessary to be an adult and support myself.
I've been blessed though. I eventually found my way to become the lead singer in a country rock band. I was 40, and I had teenage sons, so I walked away from it not long after I started, concerned about leaving my boys unsupervised every weekend. But for a glorious year, I had the opportunity to fulfill that dream. Many years later, after meeting my husband Danny, I had the opportunity to perform again, this time as a solo. And now here at am, 60+, finally fulfilling my deepest desire of publishing a novel . . . and with more on the horizon!
I may have taken a circuitous route to accomplish these dreams, but I would not be where I am today had things been any different. I wouldn't have the husband I have, the children and grandchildren I have, if I had made different choices. So no regrets--just gratitude that I have been blessed to finally bring my lifelong dreams to fruition.
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