Growing Up Is Scary

Responsibility. It's a scary word. This week I've been faced with it when I put my name down for a flat. Up to now I've been living at home with my parents, and managing to save a lot of money in the process. But now, finally, I'm going out into the world sort of on my own (boyfriend is being dragged along for the ride) as long as the reference checks come through. Better get used to not having much money every month...

News of Japan has also been another reminder of the fragility of our lives. If you'd like to help in a small way you can make a donation to the red cross here. I don't know if others feel the same but events like that make me more determined to do the things I want to do, to become who I want to be, while I still have time. Maybe that's selfish but any good that can come of something so terrible can't be all bad.

We can't control everything in our lives, in fact it's likely we hardly control anything at all, so it's all the more important we make sacrifices and effort to get the things we want. That didn't occur to me until my Uncle died two years ago from lung cancer, aged 67. That was followed by the death of my Gran last year, after a long drawn out period of illness from Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. It made me realise we never have as long as we'd like. That thought scared me enough to start making a real effort to "be a writer", rather than saying I'd like to be a writer one day. We only have the now and I intend to make the most of it. I don't always succeed but I try my best.

In that vein I was very pleased this week when I had a review I'd written published on another website. It's always reassuring to know that others who do this stuff professionally are willing to put your work on their sites - it's certainly good for the ego at any rate.A tiny step on the path of being a professional writer has been made.

So that's my week. How was yours?