Maybe I Was Supposed to Be a Writer?

How do we ever really know that we are supposed to write until we do it?!

I was having a conversation on Facebook messenger on Sunday with another content creator here on Medium. The conversation led to writing and being a writer.

What I told my friend was about my prior work history.

I told her about an incident that happened many years ago when I was visiting California, on the coast near Los Angeles.

In my previous life, I was in project management and I worked on new hotels when they were being constructed. No, believe me, I was not doing construction. I can’t even hang a curtain rod straight.

I was doing something unrelated to building anything, and most people don’t even realize it’s a real job. At the time it was a real job for me.

Well anyway, I digress. After we had finished the project the owners of the hotel realizing it was a difficult project to complete, they invited me to come out to the hotel for a visit. To stay at their luxury hotel for a week.

For a working vacation of sorts where I would do some light tidying up of the paperwork.

Also during this week of southern California sunshine and great weather, I did get to enjoy the hotel’s amenities. And being a luxury hotel, everything was and still is amazing at the property.

I even got to attend the grand opening which, let’s just say was pretty spectacular. It was filmed and was even on ET? (no, not the alien, Entertainment Tonight)

The hotel is located in California on the coast in Dana Point. If you’ve never been there all I can say is “wow”!

So I was there on one of the last nights of my visit and I invited a friend of mine who lived in West Hollywood to drive down to the hotel. I think it was down, I’m not so good with geography.

It was a great evening, we got to catch up and grab dinner in the community just down the beach a short drive away.

After we had finished dinner we returned to the hotel and we were standing out looking at the vista which was the Pacific Ocean.

I remember it like it was yesterday.

We had the beauty of the hotel behind us, the hills above it, and had the Pacific Ocean in front of us. It was truly something amazing.

Now thinking about it now it seems like it was only yesterday. The reality is that is was over 20 years ago. How my life has changed since then.

With a slight breeze coming off the ocean and the setting sun in front of us, I turned to my friend and I told him that I understood why he lived there. With such great weather, and beauty, how could he not? How could I not?

Well, my friend never mixed words which is why I loved him so. He always said what he was thinking.

After I made that statement my friend quickly turned around and reminded me that he did not live in Dana Point, California. He in fact lived in West Hollywood and that it couldn’t be more different.

He said it in a kind, but determined way realizing that I didn’t know much about California.

That I was only seeing the parts of California that were the most beautiful during the various hotel projects that I had done. Prior to that seeing it during layovers when I was with a major airline years before.

So after my friend corrected me on the climate differences of Southern California, our conversation took an interesting turn.

What he asked me next was that if I lived in California, and I lived in Dana Point what would I do?

Well, first he asked me where would I live?

That answer was pretty easy and I immediately turned around away from the Pacific Ocean, pointed to the hills above the hotel, and said “there”.

There were numerous gorgeous homes above the hotel that I had just completed in which I was staying. Yes, I was pointing at them.

Well, my friend in his loving but direct manner would sometimes just roll with some of my crazy comments. He said, “so you’re going to live in Dana Point California and live in one of those houses, and what would you be doing”?

I didn’t know really what he was asking me. He was confirming where I wanted to live, and he wanted to know what I was going to be doing? I asked him what did he mean?

He said, “are you planning on winning the lottery”? Of course, my answer was “no but I’d love to”. Wouldn’t we all!

So his next question was that if I wasn’t planning to win the lottery then how I was going to make a living and live in one of those houses up in the hills of Dana Point?

So I stood there pondering his question. With both of our backs to the Pacific Ocean and that amazing sunset. We stood there as I was trying to give him an answer that would satisfy him. That would also satisfy both of us.

Well then after my mind processed his question for maybe 10 to 20 seconds I told him I had my answer.

My friend was very intrigued because as I said usually he is very kind, and sometimes would just roll with things when it came to me and my dramatic thought processes. However, he did want to hear my answer.

So he asked me again, “so Michael what are you going to be doing for a living to allow you to live in those homes up in the hills of Dana Point, California”?

Well, I worded my answer pretty specifically like it was a plan all along that I was sharing with him. I have to admit even thinking about it now after all these years I saw him being surprised by my response.

I turned to him with both of us with our sides, one to the ocean and one to the hotel. To the gorgeous houses, I had this plan to live in one day.

I then replied, “a writer”. I was so shocked by what just came out of my mouth, I said it again, “yes, a writer”.

My friend then asked me what would be an obvious followup question, “so do you write”?

That was an easy answer for me to come up with, I said “no”.

So you can imagine where the conversation went from there.

After I said that I didn’t write he replied. “So you plan to move to Dana Point, California, and you’re going to have a view of the Pacific Ocean and live in one of those million-dollar homes in the hills and you’re going to be a writer, but you don’t write”?!

I said “yes”.

Now granted that was a long time ago and a different job, a different life, a different everything.

Yet something in my soul ever since then has always made me question myself if becoming a writer could ever happen.

Granted I know what the odds are. I know that despite having several blogs for a number of years, I’ve never really made any money off of my work.

I don’t think honestly that anybody’s noticed my blogs. Well, except for the few website visitors that I get per month.

I also realize that I’m only a few posts into my adventure here on Medium.

I have always loved the written word, even when in high school where I recited the words of others in plays and musicals. Or, when I wrote for the high school newspaper or yearly annual.

But, I also ask myself. Could it happen?

So, only time will tell.

Maybe this is how it starts. Maybe it actually started with a blog post, that just hasn’t been seen yet.

Maybe it starts with a couple of words on a story here on Medium. Just a few words that are shared.

Maybe someday I will have that view and have that life I have dreamed of. The one that only I really know, not necessarily the one that I told my friend about that day.

Maybe I will be a writer.

Time will tell, let my journey begin.

About Michael

Michael Thacker is a not so young adult blogger, aspiring writer, and sometimes seller of real estate.

Michael tweets a LOT on Twitter posts every once in a while on Facebook and occasionally lets his opinions be known to friends, family, and anyone else that will listen.

Connect with Michael

You can follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MichaelThackerI.

If you want to connect on Facebook, the best place is https://www.facebook.com/RMichaelThacker/