“Playing it safe is the most dangerous thing you can do.”
My parents have come to visit so we can celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary together. I plan to write about them next, but having my parents around reminded me of an idea I read about last week.
Think about your past life and then name the themes or chapters you have lived through up until now. Since I was wide awake this morning at 3AM, I started naming my chapters. Here’s what I came up with:
Although I was a fairly serious student in college, I think I would name my college years: Chasing after ‘Love,’ and I use the word love loosely here. What did I know back then?
After college and graduate school, when I got my first professional position as a librarian we’ll call: Back to Reality.
A few years later I decided I still needed to try to become a Chinese history professor, so I spent a few years studying intensive Chinese and living in Taipei. Those were my “Chasing the China Dragon” years.
When that completely didn’t work out as hoped for, I needed to spend a few years to recuperate and devote some time to “Recovery from Depression.”
The next chapter is nothing I am proud of, so let’s call it: “The Bad News With Bad Men Show.”
I decided to call my first attempt at marriage in my early 40s: “Does Marriage Actually Work?” Which led directly into my: “Midlife Crisis Begins” chapter.
In my case, life only started getting much better AFTER it first fell apart at age 49. My midlife crisis included divorce and then career/job loss all of which forced me to humbly admit I so didn’t have all of the answers. All of my supposedly ‘safe’ choices like marrying a man with money or staying in a job I no longer enjoyed, only led to misery. What does one do in a situation like this? Well of course, you start your own dating service!
My next chapter: Dating at 49 was when the fun began! Meeting Mike was such a turning point in my life. It was the BEST SURPRISE EVER! When you’re feeling depressed and down on your luck, the last thing you expect is to meet the person you’ve been looking for your whole life, and when you do, you certainly don’t expect him to love you as much as you love him.
Finally finding love at 49 is the BEST! Of course I had to do some serious work on myself to bring that about, all explained in my new book: How To Believe In Love Again.
My present chapter is called: Life Finally Begins to Pay Off, and it all started with my adventures in blogland. Up until the time I learned about blogging, I was running into roadblock after roadblock as a new freelance writer. Becoming the Midlife Crisis Queen freed my soul, leading to lots of new friends, ideas for books, speaking opportunities and coaching jobs. I was finally able to share my own truth with the world, as I saw it. What a joy!
The only nagging question now is: Why did it take me so long to get it right???
I love that you write form personal experience, and your parents sound wonderful! Keep up the good work (and congrats on your new found life of love and happiness!)
Thanks for reading Megan! I can only call them as I see them. – Laura Lee