If Not Now, When?

It is a big commitment having a blog, and making regular posts all the more so. Often I will find that I lack the time or emotional energy to come up with something, on other occasions I will feel a burning need to write about a subject, but most of the time I want to write but have to think through what I will be writing about. Series like my Lent Course the A-Z challenge and my Advent Calendars all help focus my mind, but most of the time posts will be triggered by something that's happened either in my life or in the wider world. Occasionally another blogger will write something that either triggers a thought or focuses something that I have been subconsciously considering already. Today is one of the later.

Jessie Hart

Over on her Condo my friend Cyrsti has written about transitioning later in life after realising that at the age of sixty time was running out. I know that feeling! This was something I had been thinking about already following the recent death of John Motsan. Now I am in my seventh decade I increasingly find myself thinking "if not now, then when" when I hear of a famous person I think of as more or less a contemporary dying, then hear that they were in their 70s, I often first think "Oh they were older than I thought" then realise that's only a few years older than me. I am determined to pack in as much as I can into my remaining years.

I recently wrote about my plans to compete in some grass roots level motor sport, I recently bought a couple of new instruments, I have also finally  restarted a course of facial electrolysis. This is all about my current attitude of "If not now, then when?" But sometimes it's not just about buying something, starting something new, no, sometimes it can also be stopping something. I have cut right back on my work load (I can't quite afford to fully retire yet, even if I wanted to) to allow more time for music and writing. I have also left the Allegra Concert Band.

After being their MD for over three years, and guiding them all the way through the pandemic I was still getting a great deal of satisfaction from conducting the band ~ and I like to think the band was getting a great deal from me as well. Unfortunately dealing with some of the committee became increasingly stressful and was getting in the way of my relationship with the band, and my ability to keep them progressing. A few years ago I would have stayed and fought, I am quite sure that in the process I would have lost some friends, but would have had the possibility of carrying on as their MD and pushing their musical progress. These days I just don't need that sort of hassle, I'm no longer young and ambitious, so instead I walked away.

What is the point of delaying? 

Realistically at my age I know I have limited time and opportunities, so I simply want to make the most of those I have left.