I Wish...

I wish I'd known John Lennon

I wish I was a writer. I have wished this since I was a little girl, for as long as I can remember. My mum taught me to read before I even started school. I remember learning to write my name at infant school. I can remember making up children's stories for my little brother on long car journeys in the seventies. I was so proud when a story that I wrote in junior school made it to the front page of the school magazine. When I was twelve I bought a typewriter at a car boot sale. I loved it; I treasured it. I wrote, typed and designed mini-magazines that were inspired by Bunty comics and Jacky magazines. I drew all the pictures too. I loved art, and chose that route into higher education. But a foundation course in Art and Design and a degree in Animation somehow lead me into a secretarial career. I am now a damn fine administrator, typist, PA, bookkeeper, receptionist and so on. These skills have introduced me to musicians and pop stars while managing a recording studio, made me a good Friend of the Earth, (I worked in their accounts department) and elevated me to administrative manager of a neurosurgical operating theatre in the NHS, (I wasn't exactly a brain surgeon but all of my colleagues were). Returning from maternity leave I accepted a lower grade role as a medical secretary so that I could reduce my hours to part time. Then a new government wanted the NHS to cut costs, so they offered me a voluntary resignation deal and here I am, a part time freelance secretary just beginning my freelance writing career.

I lost a friend to cancer earier this year; very suddenly. Loss makes you stop and realise that you may not have forever to realise your dreams.

"Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans".

(John Lennon)

I am a writer. I've been writing forever. "I'm a lover not a fighter"*. I'm a mother and a writer. Step by step I am turning my tip-tapping, typing fingers into a business. I know from my hypnotherapist career (- forgot to mention that one!) that whatever you believe about yourself becomes your reality. I don't have much spare time to pitch articles. I wish I had the time to contact agents about the wonderful book I have already written about my narrowboat life. I wish I had time.

But I wasn't given three wishes, not even two: If I had just one wish, I would just wish I was a writer.

Thanks to Josie for granting me one wish. I believe if it is written down it is now out there in the universe, just waiting to be answered.
Josie writes beautifully at http://www.sleepisfortheweak.org.uk

She's created a fortnightly writing workshop and the prompt for this one was "I Wish."

You can read other people's wishes and writing by visiting her blog. I recommend popping over to read her wish post, which is an evocative, descriptive, poetical prose piece about her dream house by the sea.

In truth, I know that no magical elf or brownie is going to grant me a wish. It will be me that makes my dream come true. Watch this space.

"Twist me and turn me and show me the elf, I looked in the water, and there I saw myself!"
The Brownie Guide Handbook

*Quote from The Kinks.

For writing commissions, copy writing, business blogging etc see http://peggymelmoth.wordpress.com