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New Hustles, New Muscles

Updated: Jun 3, 2021

I had acquired the credentials I needed to become a high school English teacher and then an administrator. Each year I worked to implement a new Comprehensive Educational plan and before I knew it thirty-two years had gone by. I looked back over the years with satisfaction.


Muscles for the hustle: Arthur Ashe monument at Corona Park, NYC (Photographer, MJM).

I had served with distinction in one venue but that journey had concluded. My children had finished college and had gone on to starting their own families. I still have twenty-four healthy hours in my day with a drive to continue learning, producing, and sharing. That's when I realized there was one area of interest I had never fully explored.

For years, I kept a journal, sometimes I wrote poems, sometimes I wrote notes from sermons, sometimes I just wrote about my thoughts. I came across Nanowrimo, an online digital community which challenged me to write a novel of 50,000 words in one month. I had no idea if I could do it or what I would write about. Nonetheless, I accepted the challenge. Ever since, writing in retirement, has been my passion.


Although I may qualify for AARP membership and retirement, I still had the desire, as AARPs founder, Ethel Percy Andrus, put it, “to continue planning and striving hopefully, to keep working at something worthwhile.” Writing was my "worthwhile" something.



Trekking through new territory, East Rock Park, Conn. (Photographer, MJM).