I was discussing with a friend the other day about my youngest son graduating and his plans to enter the Marines and invariably the conversation veered toward what my other 2 children were doing.
My oldest son is in the Navy and will be deployed (again) to the Middle East…and then…”what’s your daughter doing?”
“Well” I replied, “She’s still trying to figure out who she wants to be and what she wants to do.”
“Oh…well she’s probably just a late bloomer.”
oh.my
Perhaps the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree in that respect. Here’s my timeline of blooming:
Graduate from HS
Work as a stockbroker assistant
Legal secretary
Veterinary receptionist
Graphic/layout designer
Assistant Manager at a clothing store
Car Salesperson
Title Settlement Agent
Nursing Assistant
Special Education Teacher
Coach/Entrepreneur
And a sprinkling of home based businesses
Late bloomer: a person whose talents or capabilities are slow to develop (from Dictionary [dot]com)
Being a late bloomer is not associated with good vibes…it signifies a slowness, a delay, an outside the norm that is expected
really…well…hmmmm…you’ll pardon my French, but that definition sux
One could make the case that late bloomers are more resilient, adaptable, flexible, curious…
A late bloomer’s talents are not slow to develop, it’s just that you haven’t found them yet…and that uncovering comes from trial and error, experiences, self awareness, and time.
Late bloomers
Julia Child-50 when Mastering the Art of French Cooking was published
Harlan Sanders- The Colonel was 66 when chickens started fearing for their lives- Good ‘Ole KFC
Grandma Moses-started playing with paints when she was 75
Laura Ingalls Wilder- The Little House on the Prairie didn’t show up until she was 65
Stan Lee-43 when Peter Parker made his Spidery debut
Late bloomers are beautiful because they are continually blooming. They are like perennials that come up year after year; stronger, fuller, and richer.
Have you been labeled a late bloomer? Oh.you.beautiful.flower.you
Hi Danielle,
We can “bloom” in any stage of Life. Maybe “blooming” in your more mature years may be considered as late blooming. I am well entrenched in the ‘mid life’ years and am blooming as well as ever, if not better.
be good to yourself
David
Oh David, I definitely agree with you. It struck me in my conversation how much the term “being a late bloomer” has a negative connotation when in reality late blooming is a beautiful thing 🙂
I am so glad to hear that you are blooming better than ever…I feel the same way myself.
Warmly,
Danielle