me: “I want to write a book.”

anyone else: “About what?”

me: “like…..my life…teaching, being a third generation half Korean (because it IS a thing), or you know social commentary and stuff”

anyone else: (insert half laugh) “um…that’s kinda what everyone does these days…starts a blog and creates a sort of public journal; hello Facebook? Instabloggers?, Instagram influencers? any social media site? Those are all examples of new age journaling. And anyway, you don’t just write a book, these days you start with a blog and that becomes a book.”

anyone else’s implied thoughts: “That’s not original and it won’t go anywhere, so let go and just go to work and live your life.”

me: (insert mildly defensive tone) “But I’m funny….like really funny…because I’m real and when I tell stories people laugh.”

my implied still mildly defensive thoughts: “How do you know you don’t just write a book? Are you basing this comment on all of your past experience?”

anyone else: (insert internal eye roll and sigh) “All those things are true but remember, when you tell stories, you’re talking to your friends or family and sometimes they laugh because they love you and know you.”

my internal response(feeling defiant and even slightly pissed): “F*ck it. I’m almost 40 – am I really going to embark upon the last year of my 30s having never even started the thing I’ve always dreamed of doing? …….. I’m doing it anyway.”