I celebrated an important anniversary at the beginning of this month.  September marks one year since I first self-published.  I remember that day very clearly in my mind.  It had taken me days to go through the process of converting my book to be Kindle-ready and all that was left was to click the “Publish” button.  I sat in my living room, my finger hovering over the mouse-pad, thinking “I’m not really going to do this, am I?”  The fear of exposing myself to the world and, even worse, the fear that no one would care, was momentarily overwhelming.  Something funny happens to you in your 40’s, though.  The downside is that you develop certain new fears.  You worry about your health, your now adult children, your aging parents, and your financial security as retirement becomes a spot on the distant horizon.  The flip side of that, though, is that you shed old fears.  You don’t care nearly as much what people think about you.  You become more comfortable in your skin, however wrinkly it now is.  So, I clicked “Publish.”  I was giddy with relief, happiness, and the trembling excitement of embarking on a new adventure.  When I sold my first book, I cried.  When I got my first review, I ran through the house telling anyone who would listen, “Someone liked it!”  I told my brother last year that writing was a fun “hobby.”  He corrected me and said that once somebody pays you for your work, it’s a job, even a career.  “You’re a writer,” he told me.  It took me a little while to accept it, but he’s right.  A year ago, I became a writer and I love every moment of it.  So my advice to anyone who dreams of being a writer?  Just click “Publish.”