I have a degree in music. But at the end of my junior year, the sadistic, outgoing head of the music department tried to crush the spirits of all the music majors (I know it wasn't just me because music majors talk) and it worked. I decided to completely give up on my plan to be a music teacher and only finished that degree because I was so close that even if I switched to a different major, I'd have not saved any time in terms of what year I'd have graduated. So I finished that degree, then got a second BA in art (I guess I never wanted to make any money). Left college in a relationship (that lasted 12 years) that I now recognize to have been mentally abusive, where I was made to feel like I wasn't good enough to accomplish anything. Assumed I wasn't good enough to set foot on a stage again, so I didn't. Fast forward to 2015 when that relationship ended and I moved to a new city. A chance encouter gave me the opportunity to start doing improv and I almost turned it down, but thought "no, the whole point of what I'm doing right now is trying to get back out in the world, try new things and meet new people," so I went for it. Ended up doing improv with that organization for 5 years. Then the pandemic hit. As things started opening back up, I decided to start pursuing my real love in the performance world; musical theatre. Took my blank page of an acting resume (literally all I could say was I had a degree in music and had done improv) and auditioned for a community theatre production of Hairspray. At 41, I managed to get cast as a swing for two tracks that were literally supposed to be high schoolers. Since then I've been in 6 different shows including a few principle parts and even one lead. I just got hired to be a professional Christmas caroler this year and will be getting paid to sing for the first time since I was in college. It took more than two decades but 44 year old me is finally living the life that 18 year old me always assumed that I would. Occasionally, I still get a little sad about all the time I lost NOT doing what I wanted to with my life, but then I remember that I AM doing it now. Don't give up on your dreams, you can accomplish more than you think. And if you do find you've given up on something important to you, it's never too late to start back at it.