Daily Inspiration #44
George Eliot
Never Too Late

Mary Anne Evans (22 November 1819 – 22 December 1880; alternatively "Mary Ann" or "Marian"), known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, poet, journalist, translator and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. She is the author of seven novels, including Adam Bede (1859), The Mill on the Floss (1860), Silas Marner (1861), Middlemarch (1871–72), and Daniel Deronda (1876), most of which are set in provincial England and known for their realism and psychological insight.

Source

A bold woman for her time.

There is something she said that I just love.

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”

Let me apologize in advance, I looked for pics for this post for about an hour and since this post describes a personal experience of mine, none really said what I wanted them to.

Pictures or not, it's worth the read.

Often we find ourselves longing to do something and then not doing it out of fear that we have grown to old or it is now to late.

While there are specific opportunities that are no longer available once they are out of view, it is actually never to late to follow a dream.

When I used to hitchhike I would often run into older folks that would stare off in wonder when they talked about the dream the left behind.

I got temporarily stranded one time at a truck stop in a small farm town out west.

When I entered there was only one other table of people, some old timers that immediately began making fun of me, my hair (calling me a girl and things) and how I looked (pretty unkempt back then).

It was like a line from "Turn the Page" by Bob Seger, in fact that song played in my head as they made their jokes.

Normally I could handle these types but I'd been having a rough trip so this time a rage was building inside, I can even remember clenching my fists a couple of times.

"And you always seem outnumbered, you don't dare make a stand", ringing in my head.

Well, I had a waitress.

She was in her 40's, smoked to much, bordered on a mans voice, aging long before her time and had a look of utter defeat in her eyes.

I could tell that in her youth she had been quite an attractive woman yet somewhere along the line she gave up.

I will never forget her.

She asked my story so I told her what I was doing and where I was going.

At the time I had actually been stranded from a seemingly unfortunate turn of events and as I said earlier was feeling a little defeated myself.

With a glimmer of brighter days in her eye she said, "Never stop following your dreams!"

"Never!", she repeated with conviction.

"I did, and I ended up here, serving shitty food to assholes like them.", then motioned to the group of old timers that had been making fun of me, being sure they heard her.

I was really happy that she stood strong like that for me.

She was convinced that it was to late for her yet was thrilled to see someone else doing what they wanted in life.

I did try to let her know it was never too late though she was quite convinced and I'm not sure she believed me.

A very nice woman that I am thankful to have met.

Every now and then I see people that have given up, working dead end jobs as they increase in age.

The looks on their faces says it all.

I can tell that if I were to give up that I would also suffer a similar fate.

I wonder where my next move will be and if it will lead me down a path similar to theirs.

One thing I can tell you for certain...

Following a dream can never lead you there!!

Ever.

Only quitting can.

Did you know that a large percentage of people that have done historically memorable things didn't do them until after they turned 40?

Did you know that Colonel Sanders (Yep KFC) started his first franchise location when he was 62?

He then sold it 12 years later for $2 million (over $15 million today).

Shortly before he died at age 90 he appeared publicly and was asked what he would do next and he still had a plan for his next business adventure.

It is never to late to chase a dream...

Never.

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”

Thanks for reading,
Michael David
@michaeldavid

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