Childhood Dreams and a 6-Month Review
The first home that I remember living in is a 3-bedroom, 1.5 bathroom gem, located in northwest Detroit, in an attractive, tree-canopied neighborhood. I lived there from ages 1 to 13. This is what it looks like now.
Evidently, over the years, awnings and shades were installed, and flowering bushes, majestic greenery, and handrails removed. Otherwise, it looks the same. I'm glad to see that it's in such good shape, and that the neighborhood has maintained much of its vitality.
It was in that house that I decided to become a psychologist. I was 9 years old, and had just learned about the profession. It was instant love! Forty-nine years later, at an elementary school reunion, nobody seemed surprised at my career choice.
The decision to start writing professionally wasn't made until a year ago, after I started to envision retirement. Although I had become tired of practicing psychology full-time, I recognized that I'm not a retiring kind of homemaker. Besides, I still like to earn money.
After my retired husband and I created a "this-is-our-life-how-do-we-want-to-live-it-now" scenario, I stopped taking referrals, kept my consulting gigs, started to work towards a 2-3 day per week schedule that enables us to travel, and began to think about blogging.
Trouble was, I had no idea how to go about creating an online presence, beyond attaching myself to a site like tumblr and establishing a blog. I also had no idea that the concept I was envisioning needed to be bought, built and maintained. I was truly clueless.
I literally found WA a few months later, while looking for something else.
An hour ago, it suddenly dawned on me that today is my 6-month WA anniversary. Despite frequently experiencing the angst that always accompanies my life-changing activities, the journey has been pleasantly challenging so far. New skills, new friends, new knowledge, and a new website that is almost ready to be unveiled and then monetized. How cool is that?!
It took 14 years of full- and part-time education, spread out over 19 years ofmarriage and family, to earn my undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees. It took more than a decade to find my professional niche. So, if it takes me another 6 months or so before I earn my first penny, then I'll be satisfied. After all, what's the rush?
I've learned that everything worthwhile and worth doing well takes time.
Thank you, WA.
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Thanks, Barbara. It was a very special house in a very special neighborhood and I lived there during a great time to be a child in Detroit. I'm so glad that the neighborhood has held together.
Thanks so much for sharing. I am also fulfilling a childhood dream with my niche and photography.
As you continue on your worthwhile and worthy journey, I wish you much success.
Good to hear from you, Beth! Over the years, I realized that I'm a rare person for being able to turn a childhood dream into a profession. So glad that you can now do the same thing!
I checked out your website. It's beautiful and so colorful!! I assume that the photos are yours.
Happy 6-month anniversary to you, too. :-)
Amen on the "taking time" part Carol. Often I think that we are misclassified
We should be called "Human Doings" vs Human Beings!
Sorry. Tied up today. Was actually going to write a blog on Human Beings v Human Doings, but didn't get around to it. Got any pithy ideas?
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Love your post! Its awesome that you are able to achieve your childhood dream and now, taking it to the next level.
'Everything worthwhile and worth doing well takes time' ->> so true..!
Thanks for commenting, Rina. Following a childhood dream is rather unusual, I think, so I feel especially grateful to have been able to do it, and now grateful to channel it into a retirement passion.
I checked out your website. It's beautiful! I was pleasantly surprised to see that it's about breast milk and not about living in a place where milk supplies are low!