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Monday, March 7, 2011

Change

So many things change us as we make our way through life.  Age.  Circumstances.  Education.  Growth.  Marriage. Children.  I think back to who I was at 17 and I am so far away from that young girl that was ready to take on the world, that’s its scary. 

Being poor through my college years and even afterward made me frugal to the point of miserly, even to this day when although we are far from rich, we are no long on the poor side either.  What!  You want Kraft Macaroni and Cheese?  It’s $1.09.  We will be getting the $.66 generic brand, thank you very much! 

Getting married really didn’t change me all that much, aside from learning patience.  Tooth paste in the sink, socks all over the place, cans of soda on ever flat surface…..

Now, having children I believe changed me the most.  I became afraid all the time.  I used to love to ride roller coasters, and drive fast, and go out at night dancing with my husband.  Then we had children, and thoughts of what if I got killed on the roller coaster made the fun less.  I found myself always nagging my husband, “Slow Down!  If you want to drive like a maniac, don’t do it with me and the girls in the car.”  Dancing?  What ever!  Aside from being tired and my legs unshaved, I didn’t want to spend the time away from my children. Yes, even though they would be asleep most of the time. 

I enjoy being a mom.  I like to see how they figure things out and how their imagination can take over.  I believe that is why I write for children.  I can jump into their world and understand what they are thinking.  I write for teens as I have a teen and I write for elementary as I have an elementary aged child.

Now I wonder though, with all the change and growing, when my children are grown and gone will I still enjoy the write?  Someone recently asked why I wanted to write for adults.  Maybe this is why.  Maybe I am preparing for change.  Can you do that?  I’m certainly going to try. 

7 comments:

  1. I can so relate to the fear that sets in once you have a dependent child. Heck, I calmed down quite a bit for my Jack Russel. But now, like you, I am telling B to slow down in the car, or stop riding that cars butt, etc. Dancing is more fun at home I find. Then you can be really silly. We have a blast at the grocery store. I guess you begin to see the fun in little things, and don't need dangerous extremes to make you feel alive anymore. Also, having children means that you really do have to face all your fears and become a "proper" adult.

    That's interesting on your pondering of writing for adults. Hmmm!

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  2. I know what you mean! I look back to when I got married at 19 and realize I had no clue who I was or what I wanted in life. It took me a couple years to figure it out . . . and now I am entirely different. And also having my kiddo has changed me too. Can't help that, right? It's a different way of seeing life when you have that much responsibility.

    Ladaisi Blog

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  3. Well my kid has changed me drastically. What's that you say? You didn't think I had kids? Well I don't but I sometimes feel as though I've a raised a 55 yr. old man, let's call him husband. I have changed drastically over the course of 30 yrs. of marriage. I started out sweet and innocent. Ha!! That's all I'll say about that.
    But other things have changed me too. Jobs, friends, moving from city to city, and age. I believe that change is a good thing though. Just think of the rut we'd be in if we or someone we knew, NEVER changed! How boring would that be.

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  4. Just remember that you're kids may have kids of their own some day, so you may want to keep writing for that age group. Still, I think it's certainly a good idea to learn to write for adults, too. Why not?

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  5. I didn't start writing for kids until I was a grandmother. I still don't want to write for adults. Where is the magic, the fantasy, the wishing-you-could-be-like-that-MC, the expression of wonderment on the face of the reader, the sudden "AHA" moment of realizing something new and wondrous has happened? You don't find any of that in adult writing or reading. My husband says I can find and express the "voices of children" because i'm still a child at heart. I hope that never changes.

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  6. Wow! My sentiments exactly. I am so far away from the girl I was at 17. I'm so happy that things have changed me or maybe that I've changed because of what life threw at me. Having kids - for me 5 of them - changed me a lot! The world is a scarier place and it kills me that I know I can't protect them forever.
    I write for teens because of the thrill, I guess. Also, like someone else mentioned, sometimes I wish I could be that main character. Or even to help teens get a handle on things life throws at them.
    Good luck to you.
    Talia
    http://taliajager.blogspot.com

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  7. Kids is certainly a change but I'm having even more fun now doing things with them. I absolutely love playing action figures with my son or having a tea party with my daughter.

    By the way, I get stuck going on roller coasters with them, I never liked roller coasters but I can't chicken out in front of my kids.

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