51
Every year I do something to scare myself. It’s kind of like having a bucket list only instead of doing 100 things and dropping dead, I do one thing and then eat cake.
Why do I choose to scare myself annually? Quite frankly it keeps life interesting. Last year was one of those milestone birthdays (50). Instead of looking to the future, my aim was to reconnect with two things I loved in the past: Bodybuilding and acting.
Have you ever taken a break from something and when you came back, the sparkle was gone? That’s what it felt like training for a bikini competition at 50. Lifting weights was still awesome, but the required dieting held zero appeal. Plus, let’s be real, a 50 year old body is different than a 30-something body. Body fat shifts and lean muscle mass declines at an ever increasing rate. Would it be possible to do a competition? Sure. 50+ women compete all the time. But did I want to compete? I thought I did, but discovered my heart just wasn’t in it. And you know what? That’s ok.
As for the other goal…
If you followed my blog for a while you might remember in passing that I used to be an actress in my twenties doing classical theater Off Broadway, back-to-back national tours playing the title role in Anne Frank and Scout in an adaptation of To Kill A Mockingbird and even said five lines on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. (Yes, I still get royal checks. No, it’s not enough to buy lunch…but I can buy a cup of coffee.) But like many actors not independently wealthy I had a choice to make: find a more stable profession or be a starving artist. When I say ‘starving’ it wasn’t hyperbole. Three of us crammed into a one bedroom apartment in LA, I had to dig through futon cushions to pay the parking meter in nickels, and my refrigerator held nothing but half an onion and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spray. Starving actress.
I chose food.
To be sure, eating proved delightful and a stable job led to an awesome family life with a husband and kids and new ways to be creative, like writing. Last year, I chose to dabble with acting again, in my own way: writing and performing “Spells, Secrets & History: The World of To Rescue a Witch” at several libraries and book stores. I spent hours teaching myself how to speak with a halfway decent Scottish accent, writing a script, practicing it, and pitching my show to libraries and indie bookstores. I got booked at four locations.
And then, after all this effort, holy terror of terrors, I was petrified that no one would show up…
People came. 🙂
Which is what leads me to my birthday scare for 51…
I’m starting a YouTube channel. Rather, I’m changing up my half-assed current channel. I updated my banner and everything. (It seriously took me three hours to figure that out.)
But Lisa, you say, You’re not an 18-34 year old dude talking about video games. Agreed. I’m a 51 year old woman who wrote a few books and wants to help other people in writing their first book.
Apparently the key to YouTube, or anything really, is consistency. I’m going to aim for one video per week, for a year. If that topic vibes with you, please feel free to check it out @lisatraugottwrites
Birthday to birthday, make this the best year of your life.
Lisa 😉