Saturday, February 27, 2010

It's My Birthday and I'll Pulp If I Want to...

I'm going to take it easy today.  After all it's taken me awhile to get to this place in my life and I want to take a day to at least enjoy what life has given me, and thank it for what it has kept from my door.

I remember when I first got into this game - late. I was old. Mid-30's and going back to school to work in film? It felt like I was starting over and that dread that everyone feels at that point in their life is quite the whirlwind of emotion, indecision, and just plain old, "WTF are you thinking?"

But as I grew older, and hopefully grew in wisdom (though the jury is still out) I've come to realize the feeling of starting over, of learning something new is something to be embraced and nurtured like a relationship. You give it your all.  You learn it... nay, know it, and if it doesn't work out you've still learned something you can take to your next relationship.

Which brings me full circle to where I am now in my life.  Not rich. Not poor. Not in a relationship, but not alone either.  Eager to try new things so I can bring it to the stuff I have already mastered.  And realizing that no one ever completely feels they've mastered something until after they're dead, and the "Master" title is bestowed by others.

As I work on Pulp 2.0 Press and all of our projects, I feel as if I have been working toward this my whole life.  As I discuss plans with my business partners I chuckle inside as I think "I am using all of the buffalo here. We are mixing books, and design and story and video and the web. We are figuring things out based on others' experiences and our own.  And damn it, there's not a day that goes by where we're not excited or not having fun. 

Yes, pulp is not a genre nor a medium - it's an attitude.  I have 47 years worth, and it ain't over yet.

Happy Pulpday to me...
Happy Pulpday to me...
You're getting there, you bastard...
There are many more Pulpdays to be.

Now if you'll excuse me.  There's women to be wooed, cigars to be smoked and pulp to be had.

Bill
Mad Pulp Bastard since 1963

4 comments:

Lindsay Stewart said...

all the best to you bill. congratulations on another successful solar orbit!

Neil Sarver said...

Happy birthday! I hope you have a great day.

Andrew Bellware said...

Happity Birthday!

S. Harlan Cone said...

Happy Birthday. Thanks for sharing your attitude with us!