That Was Then, This Is Now

As a teenager in the 80’s, I was a huge fan of the genre of Brat Pack films. If asked to choose, I’m not sure whether ‘The Breakfast Club’ or the film below was my ultimate favourite:

That Was Then, This Is Now

(wiki for further info if you do not know of it!)

If put on the spot I’d go for the latter, because I really enjoyed the film (still not comfortable using ‘movie’ as a noun in place of ‘film’ despite my kids now adopting it entirely, it’s like ‘cinema’ will forever be ‘pictures’ to me) but the book, by S.E.Hinton, was even better.

I’d also choose it over ‘The Breakfast Club’, because ‘That Was Then, This Is Now’, is a term I’ve used a lot during my adult life. It sums up for me letting go… moving on. Whereas Breakfast Club describes a convenient place to drop second-born on the mornings I need to leave for work early.

Which seamlessly leads me into the reason for this post. You’d almost think I’d planned it – which I haven’t, it’s just a happy coincidence. 

10 years ago today, 18 July 2008, things changed. I had a newborn and a young child, plus I was a busy freelance consultant – but a short sharp shock and devastating loss, meant it was time to re-evaluate.

You can read more about that time here

It all began very gradually, and then in 2009 I read a book on downsizing your life, stumbled across a couple of blogs, and generally found an interest in simple living and minimalism. As my online confidence grew, so did my virtual persona and I became comfortable contributing to the comments section on blogs – the world is now a very small town, and it’s easy to find your tribe. I found like-minded people all across the globe. It made me think I was onto something.

And onto something I was, over the next two years I continued to read and learn, and in 2010 decided to take a career-break to embrace simple living on a whole new level. SimplyBeingMum was born.

My blog was registered in April 2010, and it took a further 6 months for me to take action. It was October when I made the decision to schedule a few months out, and start writing. My career-break then evolved from a few ‘months’ into ‘years’.

The blog was never (never) intended as a commercial venture, just a channel to keep connecting and contributing to the community – to release the 24/7 narrative going round the inside of my head. Truly it was an organic outlet, and despite me forgetting it for a while, it still is.

At the start of this year, almost ten years on from embracing a more simplistic approach to life, I returned to full-time work (and then some). On average I work between 50-60 hours a week – a far cry from the slower-paced life I had been leading. This caused somewhat of an identity crisis. Was I still SimplyBeingMum? and if I wasn’t, who was I? and what on earth would I write about at the blog?

Now, inspiration strikes in the most unlikely of places. I am blessed that I have someone who tells me how it is. He’s not someone I know well, and it’s completely in a professional capacity, but interestingly he is one person who doesn’t put up with my storytelling, excuses or procrastinating. Yesterday’s advice was to return to the blog and just get writing.

And when I thought about it, what better day than today? A decade on to the date that everything changed.

It’s a line drawn in the sand, or rather typed on a page. That Was Then, This Is Now.

Life is a journey and I most definitely have not reached the final destination.

Maybe, just maybe, I could write about leading a family life simply done, but in the context of the professional business woman with much to offer as she embarks on a new journey. Enthused with a refreshed mind overflowing with ideas to achieve specific professional goals, while never losing sight of her commitment to conscious living and mindfulness, and her ongoing commitment to an authentic family life.

And maybe along the way, I’ll still find time to bake a cake or two.