Am I too late? by Lesley Hargreaves
We are now well into the second half of January, and our “Christmas” Amaryllis has decided to join the party. It has sat on our shelf with little or no growth throughout most of December, and now, with Christmas just a memory, it has decided to burst into full bloom. We have made no changes to any care or its position. It has just decided that it is its time and that is that. And what a show it is putting on. I am a bit scared of getting too close to it in case it tries to bite my face. (I’ve seen the Day of the Triffids. I know what can happen.)
Obviously, our Christmas plant had no idea that it was missing Christmas, and if somehow it did know, I don’t suppose it would have made any difference. This is, I think, a good thing.
I am currently re-reading Equality is Biblical by Penelope Wilcock. It is an excellent book about the position of women in the church, stretching back to the early church and ancient attitudes.
What has struck me about it this time is the ages of the women who are leading the way. Julian of Norwich was in her seventies when she died, still writing her visions, which became known as the first book in English known to have a female author. Her contemporary, Margery Kempe, was significantly older when she died - still sharing visions - still being arrested.
You are probably aware of late bloomers such as Laura Ingalls Wilder, who was first published at 65, and Kate Atkinson, who was published for the first time at 44 and is doing her best work in the second part of her life. She describes herself as a late bloomer who is grateful for the wisdom these extra years bring to her writing.
I can’t speak for you, obviously, but the older I get, the more I sometimes feel it is too late to move on in writing. Not so much about being published, although that would be lovely, but developing what I have to the next level.
We would only have to dig a little bit deeper to find people who are doing things that are unaffected by their age. The choices that they make are driven by their passions, their skills and maybe their calling. (This includes young people as well, but I am old and am therefore well into my comfort zone when it comes to talking about ageing.)
As my old grandad used to say, “As long as I have still got my faculties, I can carry on doing the things I need to.” (Actually, that was about being able to keep going to the pub to sink a few pints, so that’s probably not the best example, but you probably get my meaning.)
I don’t think that anyone has ever said to me that it’s too late to bloom. I think it’s probably just something I have said to myself. But maybe I’m wrong - it isn’t too late, and our writing can bloom in any place and at any time.
Lesley is a Charity Manager who lives in Plymouth and blogs at
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