On Our Firsts

Do you remember your first day at school? I don't remember my first day at a Chinese language school, nor do I remember my first day at an English language school in Cholon, Vietnam. But I remember, part of it, my first day at Kishwaukee College in Malta, IL in 1985. It was very exciting! A brand-new life, a hope, and a dream burst in front of me!

As a writer, I remember the first time I received recognition for my play. It was the first play I'd ever written in my life and I wrote it at age forty-two and with no previous playwriting experience. I was awestruck when I saw my short play being a finalist of George Kernodle Playwriting Competition in 1991 along with my professor's. It was a playwriting competition open to playwrights all over America.

One thing I got out of this is: you're never too old to start writing. Unlike athletes who, after reaching a certain age, will have to stop playing, no one will or can tell me that I'm too old to write as long as I remain mentally sharp and know the crafts and arts of writing. Look at some of our best-selling authors, such as David McCullough, Jimmy Carter, and J. R. R. Tolkein's son, are all over eighty years of age. Writing is one of the professions that know no age discrimination. Boy, am I not delighted to be in the right business.