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What happens when rejections pile up over a lifetime As I write this, I’m just a day away from my first Redundiversary – a portmanteau of my own genius that only works in British English. A full 364 days of existing in the wilderness that is post-employment as a 55 year-old. At some point I’ll…
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Things I’ve learned as I approach my 1 year redundiversary In last week’s post I wrote about the very beginning of ‘life after redundancy’. You can read it here:https://sarakingwrites.co.uk/who-even-am-i/ As my 1 year redundiversary grows closer, I’ve realised this past year has not just been about losing my job; it’s been about questioning who I…
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When redundancy in your 50s kickstarts full life reset mode In autumn 2024 the curtain closed abruptly on my 30 year sales and marketing career. Of course, there was initial shock and disbelief when the redundancy axe dropped on me out of nowhere. There were angry, terrified tears. And – a few days later –…
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When childhood trauma finally makes sense I’d describe myself as one of life’s thinkers; a bit of an intellectual as well (without trying to sound too ego or snooty). By this I mean that a huge part of my life is about being curious and critical. I love exploring complex or abstract concepts, and getting…
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Reflections on the marathon that is writing & self-publishing a fiction novel As I write, we’re exactly a week away from the arbitrary ‘go live’ date I plugged into Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) for my Kindle e-book and paperback women’s fiction / family saga novel. And I have to say…. everything feels a bit…..well, flat. Quiet. Undramatic. It’s…
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I’m not sure whether I’ve always been like this, but one thing’s for sure; midlife has brought my struggles with the polar opposites of impulsivity and indecision into sharp focus. I’ve always thought I’m well attuned to intuition, using it as a handy early warning system for life’s more minor challenges; from navigating friendships to which colour jacket to buy. It’s…
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No one really knows another person, do they? Of course, we all present an acceptable version of ourselves to the world, otherwise society would look very different. But if you’re neurodivergent, there’s another dimension; you’ll likely be highly skilled at the game of public vs private persona known as masking. Peeling back the layers of…
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It’s been a hell of a long time since I gave blood; probably 20 years, for one reason or another. Pregnancy, tattoos, training for marathons, medication, and other unhinged reasons kept my red cells inside my veins for a long time. My blood group is O-, meaning the vampires love me, and the NHS too…
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The summer of 1988. I am hot and sweaty with exertion from riding my blue racer bike through the tangle of streets on the 1960s housing estate I call home. I zoom past the identikit mass of family homes and come to a sudden jolting stop with a screech of brakes and an audible exhalation…
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‘I really don’t want to go poking around in my past, it will only cause more upset and harm, and I can’t see the point of it. Plus I’m too old and it’s too late now’. (Always my favourite excuse that one) This is me, talking to my eldest daughter; a therapy advocate and relatively…