Happy birthday to all November folks! Today is my 49th birthday. I’m excited because I’ve looked forward to turning 50 since I turned 40. Before that, I was in desperate physical health and believed I wouldn’t make it to 50.
Women in their fifties are something special. They’ve reached that “I don’t give a fuck” age. They’re starting to come into their true power. I’ve long said that the world should be ruled by women in their fifties and I still believe it. Of course, from this age, nine years past that milestone fortieth birthday, I believe women in their sixties and seventies and beyond are also powerful and capable.
I’m looking forward to my 49th year. This year, I hope to publish my book Revenge Prose. I hope to publish “My One Gay Novel” the book I’ve almost completed for NaNoWriMo. I’d like to start and finish writing my next book. I’d really love to find an agent or a publisher for these books and that means I’d like to get better about actually submitting them to publishers or agents. I’d like to self-publish Coyote 2, the sequel to Coyote Ate the Stars. I would like to finish and publish the short story collection I’ve been working on with my friend, author Karen Richard.
I’d like to grow my Patreon to 150 followers. It takes a lot of time and I’d like to make it worth that time.
I’d like to go into menopause this year. I feel I’ve done enough time having my period and I’m ready for it to be over.
I’d like to keep this handle I’ve had on my depression for the past year. I’d like to keep practicing the self-care I need to prevent a downward slide. I’d like to continue to manage my anxiety as well, if not better, than I have been this year.
I’m entering a doctoral program in January, so I’ll also say that I’d like to thrive in that program and not crash and burn in a puddle of tears, regret, and impostor syndrome.
I’d like to get a full-time professor job. I love my classes and my students, but adjuncting is an insecure job. It affords me time to work on my writing and run the writing academy. But it doesn’t afford me the pay to actually pay all the bills.
I’d like to do P90X at least once. I did it twice, about six years ago. I want to do it again. I keep putting it off. But that’s my goal for this year.
I’d like to continue taking my senior dog for twice daily walks as long as he is able to do them.
I’d like to get a story of mine into at least one anthology this year.
It’s my 49th year. It feels momentous, like big things are coming. It’s the countdown to my magic 50. It’s a time for great changes. I just have to make room for them to happen.
Finnian Burnett 