So I haven’t written anything in a good, long time now. Years. Life has changed a great deal. In the down time I’ve moved house, enrolled two of my three children into high school, adopted a stray bird, a female Indian Ring neck my youngest child named George, after winning the naming lottery we held for the occasion, my faithful Jack Russell had to be put down. This still brings tears to my eyes whenever I think about it. He had a brain tumor and had also lost his sight. He was 14.

And I re-joined the work force. A change of career, and a career choice I would never have thought would have suited me, but it seems that it does. My new job, which I have been doing for the last 18 months or so, is as a Support Worker for the aged and/or disabled. It is definitely a rewarding career, but it has had its moments.

This job has taught me a lot about life. Talking to people close to the end of theirs will do that. I have developed a desire to not waste too much more of my own time. If I there is an experience within my grasp that I am interested in, I reach for it. Life is too damn short to just work, eat, sleep, repeat. Of course, I’m typing that and telling myself I’m a hypocrite, because I work Six days a week at the moment. It is a means to an end. I have the ability to be able to take time off when I need it. I don’t need it at the moment. I am busy putting aside for planned Life Experiences. Adventures.

Those that have read my past posts will know I love to cycle. I still do. I still don’t wear lycra. I haven’t lost any weight. I haven’t really tried hard enough on that front. That has started to change. I am craving adventure. So I am planning a cross country ride, away from main roads, and even off road for about half of it. It will take me along rail trails, through country towns and villages and back roads. Along the flats and over some rather steep ranges. I will get to experience a whole spectrum of conditions. I will travel from Beach to Bush to Beach. And I will also need to prepare to meet those challenges. I have already started on that preparation.

I have the incentive now. And it’s all thanks to a new career, and listening to people who have lived their lives. Who have told me about their life’s Trials and Tribulations. Of their joys, and more importantly, their regrets. For the things they never made time to do. People they never spent enough time with. Adventures and opportunities they allowed to pass them by, thinking there would be time later.

A friend of mine had a heart attack a few weeks back. He’s Four years younger than me. He survived it, it also helped make me realise, Later is too late. Later is always later. The time to Live is now.