My "baby" hit the one-year mark and I celebrated the event as if my little darling was an actual, living, breathing entity. This blogspot, "Bloomin' Boomers," has now officially been around for one full year and I couldn't be more excited!
As with all "newborns," the journey has not always been easy. Many nights, it keeps me awake. It demands attention when I'm depleted. It needs to be "fed" regularly. It doesn't always do what I expect it to do and it must be changed often...
But I love it with my whole heart, regardless.
I wanted (want) my little fledgling to take flight and pledged to give it every opportunity for a bright future. That requires work and discipline on my part, but the rewards far outweigh the pain.
Something I can call my very own
After having written for both national and international magazines for over a decade, having been the lead writer for Raising A Hand, and having written websites and memoirs for many, I decided to finally follow my heart and write about things that were of interest to me, personally. Setting my sights on my own "thinkery," "Bloomin' Boomers was born, April, 2018.
My first post,"You Just Can't Argue With Audrey" was a lighthearted look at the importance of keeping a good sense of humor as we age. (Click on photo to read.)
Many times, Baby Boomers take life a bit too seriously and "bog down" in the negative, which we've all encountered by now. So when I saw the need for more uplifting Baby Boomer articles — something that we would be able to relate to and enjoy— I decided to set my sights on fulfilling that need.
There's so much negativity readily available to us that it seems, whether we search for it or not, we're faced daily with opportunities to drown ourselves in anger, fear, hatred, political rants and the all-too-available worst-case-scenarios on things like the "malady du jour."
Offering an uplifting alternative is what this first year has been about. I do, however, intend to continue offering useful information of a serious nature when I see an opportunity and the need arises. If there's a timely subject that deserves or demands attention, I won't shy away from it.
It's all part of this crazy, wonderful, sometimes-shocking wild ride we call life.
I strive to keep things interesting in my blog in the same way that I try my best to keep delving into new experiences in my own world. It's a challenge to make sure that it (and I!) won't grow stale! My goal is to "keep it fresh"— my readers never know what idea I might tackle next.
Don't like this one? Wait for the next post. It'll address a completely different subject.
And while the format may have changed a bit over the past year, the message remains the same:
Life's third act
I recognize that these are years in which our generation seems to go through somewhat of an identity crisis. Many of us are no longer full-time parents (at least not to humans. Blogs and pets, maybe...) Many of us have lost parents, so we are no longer children, and as the years roll by more and more of us are retired, so we are no longer anyone's employee or boss. Some, sadly, have lost their husband or wife, so they are no longer active spouses.
So what's left? Who are we at this stage of our lives?
I remember vividly the moment that feeling of panic hit me. It felt like I was free-falling, with nothing to grab onto — and knowing mid-fall that hitting the bottom was not an option.
Those are the "Ah-ha!" moments that rattle your brain severely enough to let you know it's time to make a change. If we don't like where we are in life, we can always change, MOVE!
It's not too late! American Businessman Jim Rohn said, "If you don't like the way things are, change it [move]! You are not a tree."
Sometimes, when blooming where you're planted absolutely isn't working, it's time to transplant ...
And so I "moved"
My way of surviving the inevitable "free-fall" was to grab the rope-of-hope I could see in the distance: I would restructure my life as a writer and "birth" my idea of addressing things that are important to me.
The benefits were obvious: It would keep me fully engaged in life and new experiences
and, in the process, maybe I could enlighten or put a smile or two on the faces of my readers. Maybe lend them an idea or some good information... Possibly motivate them to reinvent themselves into doing something they had always intended to do...
If you (we) don't do it now, then when?
And so here I am— about to blow out the candle on my celebratory cupcake.
It's been a great adventure! Had it not been for the constant encouragement of my hubby, Lanny; the bright ideas and keen eye of my creative cohorts, and the ongoing support from the best friends in the world who believed in my writing from the beginning, I would not have had the confidence to step out on my own.
I'm always up for whatever comes my way. And I can't wait to take you along for the ride.
Buckle up, Buttercup! You'll never know what to expect from this "bloomin' little blog's next year — there's a surprise around every corner.
Just like there is in real life...
Thank you for helping me nurture my "offspring," from the bottom of my heart.
Until next time, bloom a little every day,
Connie