On Changing Perspectives as We Age and News Break

We've been really into stories about kings and queens lately, so we've most recently been rewatching The Tudors. I'm also repeatedly reminded of how differently I can process stories and characters as I age. As someone who loved history growing up, especially the history of medieval England, I always found the stories about Henry VIII and all of his wives especially intriguing. In particular, I was absolutely nuts about Anne Boleyn.

The younger me related deeply to Anne because I saw myself in her. I loved how outspoken and opinionated she was. I liked that although she didn't necessarily fit the beauty standards of the time, she managed to go down in history as a beauty anyway. I loved that she didn't place "sensible" limits on what she thought she could achieve. For instance, it never even occurred to her that wanting to be queen was reaching too high. She made up her mind that she wanted it, and she got it. 

And, of course, Catherine of Aragon -- the sitting queen and Henry's wife -- was on the other side of that equation. She was older and infertile. Henry loved her once but grew tired of her. She was in the way of what he really wanted -- to have Anne as his wife instead -- and she became highly inconvenient because of that fact. Never mind that she was a wonderful queen and beloved by the people of England. The younger me didn't particularly like Catherine. I remember thinking she should be less stubborn, accept that Henry didn't want her anymore, and step aside gracefully so Anne could be queen. 

Having not read or watched anything about the Tudors in some time, that whole story hits entirely differently now that I'm in my 40s. Anne scans like a spoiled little brat who needed to stay in her lane and not go after things that didn't belong to her. And Catherine comes across as good, decent, admirable, and deserving of so much better than she got. I still found the death of Anne Boleyn to be horribly tragic, but that's about it. Don't even get me started on how Henry VIII was just an awful person and a blight on humanity in many different ways.

I love noticing how my perspective has changed over the years in little ways like that, especially when it comes to stories I've always loved. I remember my younger, more intense days with mixed feelings. On the one hand, it was interesting and exciting to feel like my own version of Anne Boleyn -- so jazzed about the things I wanted out of life and so confident I'd get them. But on the other, I really love the calm, rational, introspective energy I have in my 40s. 

I still have goals and dreams, but I'm also happier with what I have at this age. I notice the little things more, and I have a greater appreciation for them -- things like how good a light, simple breakfast tastes when you're ravenously hungry after a morning workout or the calls of chickadees in the afternoon. I think things through more thoroughly, and I'm less inclined to envy other people for what they have. After many years of feeling very restless and unsatisfied, it's a nice change.

........

News Break appears to be shifting gears lately as it continues to figure out what it wants its creator program to be. They've introduced a new monetization system that will go into effect once I opt in. (Existing creators are allowed to finish out their early bird contracts first to not miss out on any payments they have yet to earn.) They've also assigned value scores to our content, which affect what rates we're paid for each article. 

February will be the last of my three introductory months on the platform, so I'd already been thinking about whether I wanted to continue after that. Signing the new contract triggers another three-month round of incentives. However, they come in the form of flat-rate payouts for each article you publish instead of big bonuses for maintaining a specific posting schedule. 

The flat payouts aren't quite as seductive as the other bonuses, but they're generous enough to keep me interested in the platform for the time being. I'll likely continue reposting Medium content I think is a fit for News Break, as well, but I'd also like to try posting some other things there. I sometimes miss my old days on Examiner and the types of content I used to share there -- news stories, recipes, local interest takes, and reviews. That sort of thing doesn't really have a home on Medium, but it does on News Break, so I may float a few things out there and see how they do.

One thing I don't think I'll be doing there anymore is posting personal essays. They rarely to never do well, but when they do, it's usually because you've got a bunch of trolls turning your comment section into a dumpster fire. I don't care all that much about trolls under most circumstances, but I don't really like seeing it happen with things that are very personal and mean more to me. Sure, I can just moderate the comments, but I find that so tedious. 

That's probably my least favorite thing about News Break, and it's actually the same issue I had with Examiner. There's zero opportunity to build quality relationships with any of your readers because most of the people who interact with posts at all are trolls. The reach is incredible. The pay rates are transparent, and you can undoubtedly make money there if you put in the effort. You won't get feedback there you can actually use, though. And not only will you not build real relationships with your readers, but you probably won't want to. 

That's OK, though. It is what it is, and like I said above, I've learned to take things at face value, decide whether they serve me, and either take them or leave them. I've decided I'll take News Break for what it's worth, but with limitations.