The ten-year cycle

If you don't already know, I am attempting to break out of the high-tech world of insanity and get into more creative writing. Today, I spoke with the editor for the Westford Eagle, my local newspaper. I accepted a freelance writing gig that I can do along with my current job. I'll be mostly writing feature stories about people and events in my town.

A column I wrote for the Boston Globe was accepted recently and will be published on 4/11. I am most excited about this writing experience and hope to parlay it into even more published work for the Globe.

It dawned on me today as I was making my lunch, that I reinvent myself professionally every 10 years. When I graduated from college in 1980, I worked in customer service. I always felt I was capable of more and in 1990, I became a business systems analyst.

I loved being a BSA until I had to live through the Y2K nightmare, at which point, I decided I wanted to be a technical writer. In 2000, I transitioned to that job.

Now, 10 years later in 2010, I am tired of the high tech world and want to do the sort of writing I've always wanted to do. I didn't study English in college in order to become skilled in software tools used to do the writing. Tools that are often more important than the writing itself.

Although I still need to pay the bills and do some technical work, I don't want this to be the final stop on my career path. I feel that everything comes full circle and, if we listen to our guts, we will end up back at the place our young and passionate hearts pointed us years ago.

For me, that's writing about important things: people, places, events, social and political tugs of war, and ideas.

Maybe some day I'll write that novel. Maybe I'll continue to write short pieces that I hope stir some thoughts and feelings in the reader. Either way, I think I have finally found the work that will lead me into and maybe through retirement.

I'll check back with you in 2020.