The Retired Journeyman Writer // Chapter 1: "Why I Write at 62."

Seeing life as a journey fuels questing beyond retirement: David J. Liebherr

At 62, I didn’t expect to be starting something new like this writing business. I used to say that my retirement plan was "to die with my boots on", referring to my desire to keep on pastoring well into my later years, even beyond the typical 'Social Security age' of 65-- well, 67 1/2 now.

But my boots took me from that journey and onto an off ramp into an early retirement when I found myself stumbling through the rocky uneven ground of a leukemia diagnosis at age 45... and then tripping off onto another unmarked trail of the toxic aftermath of surviving, but being saddled (at age 58) with increasingly life-controlling and threatening mutations in my bone marrow. So much for the boot prints of my intentions.

As I prayed and wrestled with that question of, "What now?", I realized God had already been planting seeds for years to answer that question before it was even mine to ask. I had no tangible skills or visible means of starting any kind of new career; at this age and in these circumstances, all had left to me were... words.

To quote Luther Heggs (Ghost and Mr. Chicken newspaperman protagonist): "When you work with words, words are your work." I realized that I had over 30 years of archived sermons, teachings and counselling sessions stored away in the vault of my heart and mind-- none of it accessible to anyone except through sporadic conversations with those in my closest circle of relationships.

So, that's the anvil upon which the spark to become a post-retirement writer was struck.

The first kindling of that flame was a novel that I wrote called DACLAXVIA ( see it on Amazon at https://a.co/d/7JYYLmO ). I wrote the apocalyptic 90,000 word thriller just for fun under my pen name, D. John Cliffson. I had always relished the idea of writing a novel by producing it as a movie in my head. My kids knew I could spin a tale from scratch with early childhood stories I'd make up at bedtime.

This was no childhood tale and it was also a lot to bite off and chew on as I wrote it on my cell phone, cobbling it together and then quickly self-publishing it for friends and family to enjoy. As it turned out, not surprisingly, it did not become a best-seller. A few of my friends read it... fewer of my family did. It did sell 600 copies to strangers and got me mixed, but pretty good reviews, all things considered.

But I got distracted from following through on editing and marketing it properly as my ministry finally succumbed to the ailments I referenced. COVID was the final straw that broke my health, landing me on permanent disability with that question, "What next?"posted along the new road of early retirement.

In between stops along my ongoing and sometimes baffling health journey, I began to fan into flame what embers remained from DACLAXVIA. But this time I was motivated to go back to children's tales... or should I say tails, as I teamed up with budding-genius illustrator, Abraham Liebherr, to create a series of 'life-lessons' teacher and parent-marketed books, told from the true-to-life adventures of our real family pet Hungarian Sheepdog, Filmore!

Writing under the pen name, Filmore Liebhund, I have written and self-published two books in the proposed 6 book series that helps kids with finding their purpose and identity against a backdrop of love while navigating issues like peer pressure and bullying. You can see those first two books on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CVQR7BBR

With many new grand babies being added to our family tree all the time now, I detoured, again with Abe as my illustrator, onto a path of a (5 book proposed) series of toddler-world books dealing with challenges like bed-time and sharing and other early-age issues. You can see the Bunkey Monkey books on Amazon as well. I have great hope for this series because of the unique construct of a glossy banana peel cover and banana split inside pages, all written to super-silly character antics and short easy rhymes. Check them out here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D57FC695 .

On the more serious side, I am also producing, all the time, editions of my "A Devotional Walk Through..." series that takes readers of books or large sections of The Bible on a daily venture through the Scripture, making it understandable and accessible to my fellow followers of The Lord Jesus Christ. In the series I bring my personal discipleship and my many-decade experience and study as a pastor to bear on the readings, These have been well received and my hope is to encourage God's flock to walk in the Presence of Jesus according to God's Word with the Power of The Holy Spirit in a consistent journey through the entire Bible (eventually). Several titles can be seen on Amazon as well: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DJJM8FT6

Presently, I am also writing a book that I've always desired to bring forth. It is an up-to-date look at quantum physics and mechanics that absolutely leaves 'the inference to the best explanation' that God, did indeed, create this universe. I've alway been enthralled about science from the lens of Scripture and the newest findings in the realm of quantum have deep and astonishing theological implications that I can't wait to share with my readers! I won't say anymore about this project except that it will probably be ready for self-publishing the middle of Spring of '26.

So, why am I sharing all of this with you? My hope is to bring you along with me on this change-of-seasons journey. Perhaps you are finding your boots in a place that you had not planned on. My arc of purpose in blogging my journeyman sojourn to become a post-retirement writer may help you to see how God can use your past seeds in surprising ways. Your small beginnings matter to Him, and they can be a blessing to others.

I’ll be sharing reflections on the path of this journey with you. I want to bring you samples, examples and excerpts of my writings that may help you 'live with your boots on' in new places you had never imagined My prayer is that 'The Retired Journeyman Writer'  blog will serve as a helpful walk-alongside with a friend who understands. I invite you to journey with me and I'd love to hear your unfolding story as well... join me here as the story unfolds.

— Dave Liebherr

The Retired Journeyman Writer

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