Summary

Naff Beltran, at 51, has rediscovered a passion for writing during the pandemic, which has become his "third act" in life, providing purpose and a sense of fulfillment after a period of uncertainty and job loss.

Abstract

Naff Beltran, now 51, has found a new lease on life through writing, which he considers his "third act." The pandemic, which led to job loss and the role of a caregiver for his mother, also brought introspection and the rekindling of his love for writing. A small payment for an old article sparked his return to writing, leading to viral social media content and opportunities with local publications. Beltran's writing has become more authentic and impactful, resonating with readers and offering him both financial reward and personal satisfaction. Drawing inspiration from figures like Jane Fonda and Neil Salinger, who also found their voices in their later years, Beltran embraces aging as a time of growth, self-discovery, and the refinement of his storytelling craft.

Opinions

Beltran views his role as a caregiver for his mother with newfound pride, contrasting with his previous discomfort with the label.
The pandemic's lockdown orders provided Beltran with the clarity and time to re-engage with his passion for writing.
He values the connection with friends and "consequential strangers" through his writing and social media presence.
Beltran is motivated by both the desire to be paid for his writing and the intrinsic reward of touching others with his words.
He is inspired by Jane Fonda's concept of aging as an "upward ascension of the human spirit" and Neil Salinger's perseverance in finding his writer's voice despite physical limitations.
Beltran believes that writing has allowed him to grow and find his true self, echoing Picasso's sentiment that "It takes a long time to become young."

Being a Writer Is My Third Act

On aging, finding my true purpose & writing

I am 51 this year, and have lost the will to live until I started to write again. — Naff Beltran

Like everyone else, the pandemic has made me ask a lot of questions and surprisingly it brought me here, my third act. Being a writer, I call myself that now, something you wouldn’t hear me call myself in the past because I never considered myself a writer.

It all started when I received an email that I got a payment waiting for an article I wrote in 2017, The Mysterious Virgin Mary Of Subang Jaya Malaysia. I was looking at ways to have an extra income, as, like millions of people who have lost their jobs because of the pandemic, mine was even a short-lived job, as a full-time caregiver to my mom, it was hard for me to find a job much more during this time of great uncertainty.

A payment of $1.41, was an incentive to revisit, my love for writing. It brought me back to the time I was active on social media, some of my tweets and posts have become viral. And then it all stopped, I got busy with life. Oh, how we can get all caught up with life. And soon we forget the things we used to love.

The pandemic for most of us is the most unwelcome experience of our lives and I know this first hand, for the last five years I have been my mom’s caregiver, a label, for years I am not comfortable being called as, but now, I have never been more proud to say, I am my mom’s caregiver.

Stay at home, that I am used to for the last five years, but being able to pause because of lockdown orders has allowed me to see what is more important in my life and it has given me more clarity.

Back to Writing, My Third Act

I wrote a very personal experience which I posted on Facebook, about being away for three years and shared it here, and with that article, I was invited by a publication to write for them.

Soon, I started to be more active on Facebook again. I want to connect with old friends and a term I have come to love this year, with my consequential strangers.

I shared my thoughts and a few times it resonated, like when I started talking about self nudes, and when I shared a long post about Love, Europe & Self Discovery. Today, I am glad to share, I write for a local newspaper.

As I write, I’m finding my inner voice. My writing has become more authentic and honest.

As a writer, I would be the first to admit, I want to get paid for it. But while being paid is a reward in itself. I am also rewarded when my words touch other people. Our words will be the few things that will remain, even if there are chaos and uncertainty in our world.

Third Act

I am not the first one to find writing as their third act. I watched the TED Talks by Jane Fonda on Life’s Third Act, she found her third act at age 60, and now Jane Fonda has never been happier at age 81. I am encouraged by her words, to follow my new found passion for writing.

Aging is a staircase — the upward ascension of the human spirit, bringing us into wisdom, wholeness, and authenticity. — Jane Fonda

In the same Ted Talk, Jane Fonda mentioned an article she read on The New York Times about Neil Salinger, who at 54 years old, retired as a lawyer, and had joined the writers’ group at Sarah Lawrence, where he found his writer’s voice and after two years, was diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

As my muscles weakened, my writing became stronger, he wrote recently in an unpublished essay. As I slowly lost my speech, I gained my voice. As I diminished, I grew. As I lost so much, I finally started to find myself. — Neil Salinger, writer.

Neil Salinger’s third act was being a writer, he found his third act at age 54, I’m 51 today. As I age, I have become forgiving of my old self and of my past.

I welcome my third act, because I have become a better storyteller, like Neil Salinger, it is only now I’m finding my writer’s voice, and with each word I write, that writer’s voice is becoming louder each passing day.

It takes a long time to become young — Pablo Picasso