Heading off on a four-month pilgrimage to deepen my relationship with myself, tick some bucket list items off, and see what the world has to offer a "middle-aged woman" is like a treasure hunt.
Great piece, the perception of 'middle age' as past our use by. Gad menopause was once descibed as 'change of life' by our motherrs, grandmothers of my age group (nearky 65) but we change all the time from being a girls into women, as we age change is inevitable for every decade. A woman's life can be a hormonal nightmare with so many 'changes' to get used to, can be hard to define what is physioligically' 'normal' and what is not...how many of ys 'put up with, shut up and trussed up to carry on regardlless' with no undersranding let alone sympathy or support from the eventually 'missing husband' because we were conditioned to do so? If we failed at it, ridiculed by the 'missing husband' who had never had a period cramp, ot heavy bleeding in his life and would cringe at the prospect of it. No point in filing a report on him as a 'missing person', he could have stayed missing and wished he had (x2) but hey that's just me. Menopausal symptoms, a somewhat farcical event as a trade off for years of periods, pre meno symptoms and symptoms of meno whhch I've noticed are still cyclic. There's no 'women's tent' in Western culture. How fortunate are friends who have said 'I flew through it, no problems ' when it appears I've been landed with 'the lot'. Lol...if it's at all funny. Alice Cooper said it all.in his song 'Only Women Bleed" 'The peeling paint is the best bit' luvvit Melissa, feel the same way about polishing an old piece of brass to make it look shiney and new but not with silver, go figure on that one lol. . In recent years have become a solo traveller at times too, overcoming anxiety, a feel the fear and do it thing and now that have I enjoy going solo as much as when I have company and also preferred to go solo. There's a particular personal freedom in it methinks. Enjoying your holidsy posts very much.
I love this post, Melissa. I recently heard a clip of the Harry Potter scene when he receives his invisibility cloak and puts it on, and Ron says a long, drawn out "Wow!" That's how this post struck me. I love the chipped paint photo and the distinction between do/done and be/being. Also reminds me of Joyce Rupp's poem "Old Maps No Longer Work" where the midlife soul has to throw away her map and chart her new course by the stars. You seem to be doing that with style (in your green linen dress!) . So glad you're sharing the journey in writing.
I loved reading about your adventure. Fabulous!!
Great piece, the perception of 'middle age' as past our use by. Gad menopause was once descibed as 'change of life' by our motherrs, grandmothers of my age group (nearky 65) but we change all the time from being a girls into women, as we age change is inevitable for every decade. A woman's life can be a hormonal nightmare with so many 'changes' to get used to, can be hard to define what is physioligically' 'normal' and what is not...how many of ys 'put up with, shut up and trussed up to carry on regardlless' with no undersranding let alone sympathy or support from the eventually 'missing husband' because we were conditioned to do so? If we failed at it, ridiculed by the 'missing husband' who had never had a period cramp, ot heavy bleeding in his life and would cringe at the prospect of it. No point in filing a report on him as a 'missing person', he could have stayed missing and wished he had (x2) but hey that's just me. Menopausal symptoms, a somewhat farcical event as a trade off for years of periods, pre meno symptoms and symptoms of meno whhch I've noticed are still cyclic. There's no 'women's tent' in Western culture. How fortunate are friends who have said 'I flew through it, no problems ' when it appears I've been landed with 'the lot'. Lol...if it's at all funny. Alice Cooper said it all.in his song 'Only Women Bleed" 'The peeling paint is the best bit' luvvit Melissa, feel the same way about polishing an old piece of brass to make it look shiney and new but not with silver, go figure on that one lol. . In recent years have become a solo traveller at times too, overcoming anxiety, a feel the fear and do it thing and now that have I enjoy going solo as much as when I have company and also preferred to go solo. There's a particular personal freedom in it methinks. Enjoying your holidsy posts very much.
I love this post, Melissa. I recently heard a clip of the Harry Potter scene when he receives his invisibility cloak and puts it on, and Ron says a long, drawn out "Wow!" That's how this post struck me. I love the chipped paint photo and the distinction between do/done and be/being. Also reminds me of Joyce Rupp's poem "Old Maps No Longer Work" where the midlife soul has to throw away her map and chart her new course by the stars. You seem to be doing that with style (in your green linen dress!) . So glad you're sharing the journey in writing.