I know a lot of people like to take the new year as a time of reflection. I’ve always enjoyed using my birthday as a time to do that. I think because I’m starting my winter hibernation around this time, and because birthdays are such a natural time to mark the passing years.
I’m 52 today and my eyesight is definitely a lot worse than it was a few years ago. My joints are maybe not as mobile as they were in my 40s. I’m a lot wiser, a lot happier in love than I ever was in younger year relationship. I’m still trying to work out the career thing. In some ways, it feels strange to be in university at this age – like what am I going to do when I graduate, when most people entering career fields after college are decades younger than I am?
I’ve been enjoying the writing successes I’ve had this year. Excited that my novella-in-flash, The Clothes Make the Man, is resonating with so many people. The main character, Arthur, is a trans masculine person who navigates life in a fat body and deals with all the societal and family pressure that comes from that. I love that he’s finding a mainstream audience and that people are finding ways to relate to Arthur. I think so many of us understand feeling out of place in one way or another.
I found out today that I made the shortlist of eight for the Blank Spaces Small Towns, Summer Nights contest. It means I’ll be published in their annual anthology. That was a great birthday present. I also found out today that I didn’t get into a journal I was trying to get into. A reminder that the writing life is full of ups and downs and specifically, that contests, journals, book acceptances, etc, are all subjective and just because one person doesn’t love it, doesn’t mean others won’t.
I haven’t yet made my 100 rejections in a year goal – but I’ll be writing about that after the end of the year. (I’m close!) I have an article about it coming out in the Federation of BC Writers paper magazine in their end of the year special.
All in all, it’s been a good writing year. My goal for next year will be to finish my Star Trek themed novella-in-flash and at least get started on my next novel.
Finnian Burnett 
Congratulations on your win and upcoming publications! Hoping it’s been a happy birthday and that the year ahead is full of health and goodness.
I thought _I_ was having issues with having to find a career at 39, but this post about careers at 52 does give me hope that perhaps I shouldn’t feel the need to have it all figured out. And congrats for all the writing traction you’ve gotten. Perhaps writing is your career!