For much of my 20s, I had an overwhelming sense of running out of time. I needed to do something spectacular and make something of myself before time ran out.
During my 20s, I started a game store, a Rocky Horror cast, a sci-fi convention: all excellent things but nothing that I could really point at and say "that was my great accomplishment". Around the time I turned 30, I was at Wicked Faire and had the pleasure of meeting Terrance Zdunich, the creator of Repo: the Genetic Opera. I was talking to him about the fact that I was turning 30 and felt like I had not been able to accomplish much. Terrance pointed out to me that when he turned 30, he had not started working on creating the movie version of Repo, likely the accomplishment he will be most remembered for.
I was made to think of this again yesterday when I attended my step grandmother's memorial service. She had lived in Newton, Massachusetts for over 60 years. She was much beloved by many people, having done a great deal for them. She moved to Newton in 1948, and since then had touched a great many people, either through her work as a teacher of reading or simply by being an amazing and caring person.
I was amazed by things I heard about her that I had never known, and I worried that so much time had passed me by as I was still forced to move from here to there by the forces of my life. Suddenly, it hit me that she had been born in 1914, which meant that she arrived in Newton at age 34.
I turned 34 this week. Perhaps there is still plenty of time to make my mark. And maybe, just maybe, I have already begun.
The 20s are only the beginning. For many folks, the 20s are mostly about getting to know who they are, as opposed to who people told them the were.
ReplyDeleteFrom the ripe old age of 55, my experience has been that it is never too late to do something great. Getting older is what I needed to get a better handle on my own life mission, build skills, increase in confidence, and learn how to deal with failures as an essential part of the learning and creating process.
Haven't made your mark yet? Pshaw. As long as you have life, and energy and a dream in your heart, there is always time to do something astounding (and probably lots of such "somethings")
One of my two core mantras is "We all have all the time there is." So please, please have hope and go forwards into the adventure of your life and dare great things. The best is yet to be :)
What a lovely comment! Thank you Catherinekane!
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