Retirement has renewed my interest in writing

As a retired person, I wondered what I would do with all my time. It’s a different journey for all of us. But for me, I decided to devote myself to my creative interests. One of them was writing.

My interest in writing began at an early age. I started keeping a journal at 14 and continued it until about 66. I wrote every day in those journals. Boyfriends, girlfriends, jobs, parents, no topic was off-topic. My journals were my savior. I’m sure journaling was a great outlet for you guys as well.

My job as a cashier at a local restaurant ended because of my writing. My manager didn’t appreciate me creating poetry during my shift when I was supposed to be selling pies and donuts. That was a fun journal entry, too. I also got my first unemployment check!

When we moved to Florida in 2019, I decided to trash all my journals. Why risk getting sued? Most of the important things I still remember. Besides, I can’t read my handwriting. But I do miss them. Maybe they’re being sold on eBay? I should look.

But let’s get back to my fledging writing career.

After graduating from my beloved UCSB, I moved to Hollywood and overnight, became a waitress! My lifelong goal was to wait on people, deal with unsavory characters, and survive on the meager tips I earned.

I was broke and living the Charles Bukowski life, which seemed romantic at the time until I found cockroaches swarming under my stove in my Venice apartment. Then, it was time to consider higher-paying aspirations.

I finally ended up in the ad business, which fit my verbose nature. I was surrounded by the written word and got to flex my corny sense of humor. I did that for about 20 years and got laid off more than I care to remember, but somehow, I managed to move through the channels of publishing, working on notable titles like Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, and National Geographic

A severe leg injury sidelined me, and I could no longer deal with the grueling pressures of sales, so I retired from corporate life in 2003 and decided to devote myself to my creative interests.

Thankfully, I have always been a good saver, which enabled me to pursue a career in the arts without being financially dependent on it. However, I realized that a vocation in writing is extremely competitive. I’m glad it was a hobby and not a vocation.

In 2019, I moved to Florida to care for my partner, Erika’s mother, who lived with us for three years. It wasn’t a move I wanted, but I felt it was the right thing to do for Erika. The longer we’re down here, the more I appreciate the Haven where we live. I’ve had lots of time to work on my writing and other creative interests, and thankfully, Medium has provided a wonderful outlet for my creative efforts.

How about you? How did you get started as a writer? Do you wish you had taken a different path?