I *loved* this part in the dedication of the book A Curse Dark as Gold:
And lastly to my husband, Christopher, for always being there. If I wrote you into a story, no one would believe you were real.
The problem with finding something that expresses your thoughts so perfectly is knowing you can’t use it yourself. . .
~
Has anybody told you about what to expect in your thirties?
The question came from a person who is very positive, so I didn’t fear the answer as much as I would have from another source, but still I felt myself bracing for what would come next.
It’s *fabulous* (she said). You’ve got all this stuff worked out and foundations settled in your twenties that you can just use and enjoy it all in your thirties.”
And while I have an inherent mistrust for the exaltation of any age (after all, it will eventually be over), I can certainly see this “best of the thirties” being rolled into the forties and beyond.
So I’m thankful for the encouragement and the timing. It will be at 30 that I truly have to knuckle down to an actual teaching regimen. The implication (and growing evidence) I could be at a “cruising” stage in my thinking and functioning takes a huge load off my mind.
I like being 30+. But I’m not sure I would characterize my 30’s as cruising. I feel like I’m being forced to stretch.
However, if she means that I’m a lot more confident in my basic beliefs, that might be right.
Hmmm. . .
(The dedication is perfect!)
I love that, and as I approach 30, I can see it becoming true.
The woman said she was referring to what she’d read on this blog (Hi, Nikki, if you’re reading this); that I spend the time I do working out just what I think of things and that stuff will stick with me, maturing as (if) it needs to.
Before she’d mentioned that I’d only begun to think how much more settled I am when I have a thoroughly thought-out answer to a complex question someone throws at me.
(Is there a name for the type of fallacy where people ask questions they don’t expect answers to, in order to trip you up or make you feel stupid? It is the coolest thing in the world to have a good answer for those. Positively exhilarating!)
Not only do I get to feel clever (Yippee! They’re asking something I blogged about! I can give three points in support and everything!), but I like being able to see if they really wanted an answer. Sometimes they do and we both are pleasantly surprised.