Birthday 2008

Hard to believe I've been absent from the blog for nearly two weeks, but with the new library job, Cindy's trip out west, and lots of other stuff, I've been pretty busy.

I'm at a place I never thought I'd be. When I started teaching band in 1985, 20 years into the future seemed like galaxies away. I taught for 15 years, which was plenty. I don't felt like I taught band for too long or not long enough - that's just the way things worked out.

Since we moved to Maryland in 2000, so much has changed. I no longer (formally) teach and now work for libraries. I honestly can't think of a better setting for me. I'm in better physical shape at 46 than I was at 26. I'm blessed to have a great wife, great family and wonderful friends.

And then there's the writing.

I've been writing now for nearly seven years. During that time I've learned a tremendous amount and am still learning every day. One of the things that I've learned is that (1) my writing isn't that good and (2) it's getting better. That's not self-pity talking, but the realization that my craft hasn't developed as much as it's going to develop. I've got a lot of learning to do. And that's not a bad thing.

And I'm not in such a hurry. I was, for a long time, in quite a hurry. My stories (and the revision of my YA novel) are slow-moving projects, but I'm all right with that. The important thing is to write better today than I did yesterday. I think I'm doing that. I can see progress, but on a day-to-day scale, it's very small progress. But it's progress. I can live with that.

So on my 46th birthday, I really marvel at how God has directed me through this life thing. I'm really glad to be where I am. And that is a huge blessing.