Too Young or Too Old

[charmingbillie]

A few months ago, there was a discussion on a mailing list I'm on about the age at which people published their first novels.  Almost all of them were younger than I am.

Not two weeks later, there was a discussion on another mailing list I'm on about the age of people who track*.  Almost all of them were older than I am.

We spend a lot of time

Comments

[barbarienne]

As my grandmother used to say, "Getting old is terrible, but it's better than the alternative." (She was in her 90s at the time.)

[charmingbillie]

I had a relative who lived to 110. His son ran marathons well into his seventies.

I'm hoping I've got a bunch of those genes.

[sarah_prineas]

My dad says that, too. He's 86.

[dawtheminstrel]

I think a lot of older people find it hard to let themselves be beginners again. You're competent. You've achieved something. Are you going to go do something the twenty-five-year-olds are better at?

As you know, I speak from experience here.

[charmingbillie]

Good point!

I think it's easier when it's something that's 'just for fun' or something that's completely outside one's previous experience. But a lot harder if it's a new thing in a field you're already in or tangential.

[sarah_prineas]

Damn right!

(says she who didn't start writing until her 30's).

That's interesting about tracking. Is it a function of how old dog owners are, in general? Or of the time commitment?

[charmingbillie]

That's interesting about tracking. Is it a function of how old dog owners are, in general? Or of the time commitment?

I know! I thought it was fascinating too. I think it's a little bit that fewer people are doing dog things (which is too bad). And also a bit that sometimes dog people come over from horses when they get older and don't want the expense/hassle/time commitment. But still, I was surprised there were so many people tracking in their late sixties and seventies (and even eighties). It's kind of awesome.

[orbitalmechanic]

Oh, the horse thing makes so much sense. I knew a (young) woman in CA who rode with the local hunt, and she said it was all 80-year-old women and every year someone would take a bad fall and never ride again.

[charmingbillie]

Another interesting thing about tracking is that it's mostly women, even though it's an all-kinds-of-weather outdoor thing.

But then it doesn't involve guns, so that might have something to do with it.

[kellysarah]

The other side of the coin is that age gives you experience in life, which is invaluable especially for writers. I didn't start writing fiction in earnest until I was in my mid-30's. I often wish I'd spent more time practicing it as a younger person, because then I'd be better at it now. But I've found that as I get older I have more patience with myself, other people and in general the whole world. That helps when I need to apply myself to something nuanced and/or that requires focus.

[charmingbillie]

There's that whole research study about old geniuses and young geniuses and how they're rarely the same people (you're either brilliant when you're young or brilliant when you're old). It would be fun to be brilliant and young, but I'm willing to go for brilliant and old if that's the current choice :)

[wldhrsjen3]

Heh. I've been thinking about this a lot lately, because this is the time of year that always makes me restless and dissatisfied with how little I've accomplished. I have all these grand and lofty ambitions, and yet by the end of the year I never feel that I've made much progress. And I hear about 23-year-olds signing major book deals or 16-year-olds joining the New York City ballet and I just... gah. What have I done with my life? I mean, I know I have a lot to be grateful for and I *am*, but... sometimes I feel bad.

But you're right, of course. It's stupid to limit ourselves. At least I'm still learning and working and doing things I love. :)

(Incidentally, I know several people still riding endurance well into their 70s and 80s. Their horses might be a little smaller, a little calmer, a little slower - but they're still riding. I want to be like that!)

[charmingbillie]

Yeah. I wouldn't write about this stuff, if I didn't think about it. Because no matter what, I can never be a twenty-five year old with a major deal. But whenever I start wishing I'd done something different some time ago, I think, but if I'd done that, then I wouldn't have this house or the dogs I've had or my friends or know the things I know and that's no good.

I'd love to ride horses again, not own a horse and all the work and expense that goes with it, but ride once in awhile. I guess it's not too late :)