Weird Kind of Limbo

I’m living in a weird kind of limbo.

Until recently, my wife and I were the owners of the Tattered Cover Bookstores. It was an incredible privilege to have been the stewards of this 50-year-old Denver institution. But the impact of COVID took its toll on the business financially, and without an outside infusion of cash, we and the stores were headed for the trash heap of history. Thankfully, that story has a happy ending. We found two buyers to bring in not only the needed capital, but a brilliant and achievable vision for the future.

Huzzah!

Part of the deal has me sticking around until June 30 of this year, to help the new owners settle in, and to open two new locations (projects started before the sale and before the pandemic hit).

And so here I am, with work still to be done, but with the status of a lame duck.

It’s WEIRD.

To go from being the Grand Poobah to that odd-guy-in-the-corner-who-used-to-do-something-important-around-here is, well, unsettling. Don’t get me wrong, the new owners have treated me well, and my (former?) colleagues still smile when I say hello. Only now, I’m kind of like that uncle at family reunions who used to be cool, but frittered his life away on bad investments and poker tournaments.

More important than where I am today, is where I’m going. In addition to wrapping things up at TC, I’m spending my time laying the ground work for the next chapter of my life. Beginning July 1, I’m planning to start a new career. Want to guess what it is?

Here’s a quick quiz:

Starting in July, Len’s vocation will be

A) Zamboni Driver at the local ice rink
B) Astrophysicist
C) FULL TIME WRITER!!!
D) Teaching Golf Pro

Just in case the BOLDED CAPS didn’t give it away, the correct answer is C) Full Time Writer.

Yep, I’m going to see if I can make a go of it writing for a living. I’ll work on my own books (writing and promoting), ghost write, take freelance gigs, teach, speak, whatever it takes. I’m giving myself six months to a year to make it work. If after that time I can’t put food on the table (literally), I’ll find something else to do. (If that’s the case, Zamboni driver is a distinct possibility. I don’t have the education to be an astrophysicist, and I suck at sports.)

I am SO excited to give this a try. Since 2014, I’ve managed to publish four and a half books and go on two full book tours, all while holding down a variety of very full-time jobs and being actively involved in raising our two sons. Until now, I haven’t been able to devote more than an hour a day (many days less) to my writing career. Imagine what I could do if I had an entire day, every day? Egad! It boggles the mind.

So start your countdown clocks… As of writing of this post, there are 129 days to go.

Tick, tick, tick…