Who does this guy think he is ...
Not sure if I’ve mentioned it, but I’m going back to school to get a Master’s degree in Creative Writing. Why? Great question.
For one thing, it’s been a dream I’ve had for more than 40 years — a dream I could not realistically pursue because of family obligations, like car payments, house payments, kids, and things. Now I’m retired. That means I’ve got time on my hands. Decided to make use of it by investing in myself.
Going back to school at this stage of my life (I’ll be 75 next year) may sound crazy, but the great thing about writing is that there’s no age limit. None. You can start at age 6 or age 60. I started in my late 20s as a reporter for a small twice-weekly newspaper. Loved it. Decided to get a degree, which I did in 1977, thanks to the GI Bill. Got a job right out of college as a sports writer. Then covered local news. Eventually became a copy desk editor. Then a section editor. When I retired, I was news editor for a small chain of up-and-coming publications. But 2008 happened. Economy froze. Real estate market collapsed. Automobile dealerships closed. “The Great Recession.” As a result, the media group I worked for cut back drastically. My job was eliminated. Sad. Sad. Sad. Bad. Bad. Bad.
What did I do?
Started freelance writing/editing, mostly news releases. Wrote a book—“Orange Socks & Other Colorful Tales.” Edited two other books for friends. Wrote poems, too. (That’s why I hooked up with TheProse.com ... It’s my sandbox. Where I get to play with words. Have fun. Rhyme stuff. And sometimes not.)
Back to the point:
Why am I going back to school?
To get better at my craft. Like Hemmingway did.
Let me close with this. It’s a quote from one of my favorite writers ― C.S. Lewis:
“You are never too old to set another goal, or to dream a new dream.”
Is that a true statement? I expect to find out. The hard way. One write at a time. I’ll try to keep y'all posted along the way ― assuming the college accepts my application. Why wouldn’t they? I’m a writer, right?
PS: Why did I post photos of Sylvester Stallone & Robert De Niro? Stallone was in “Rocky”; De Niro, “Raging Bull.” Both are boxing movies. Intense. Brutal. Like writing ― when your words drop to the page like blood falling from a battered face. “BAM!”
The theme from “Rocky”