The Prompt Is the Point
Maybe the life you’re looking for is waiting for a better question. The other day I sent the same paragraph to ChatGPT five times. Five. The first four times I looked at the screen and thought, “Nope.” “Still not me.” Too polished.” “Can you make it sound like I’m sitting across from someone over coffee?” […]
She’s Rowing to Hawaii. I Can’t Parallel Park
A few days ago, I learned about a woman named Kelsey Pfendler. She’s currently rowing from California to Hawaii. Alone. In a boat. Across the actual Pacific Ocean. Meanwhile, I consider it a personal triumph when I find a parking spot that doesn’t require parallel parking. At 31, Kelsey is attempting to become the first […]
What Do You Do When “What do you do?” No Longer Fits
I can still remember the first time it happened — a cocktail party, maybe six weeks after I retired. A perfectly pleasant stranger extended a hand, smiled like people do at these things, and casually lobbed the one question I’d always had a ready answer for — until that night. “So, what do you do?” […]
The Skinny Jeans Aren’t the Problem
(What Women Are Really Holding onto When Roles Begin to Change) Every woman I know has something in the back of her closet she’s holding onto. For some, it’s the size-6 skinny jeans. You know the ones. They’re folded neatly on the top shelf like a tiny denim time capsule from 2003. We don’t wear […]
A New Birthday
We recently celebrated my husband’s first birthday. Not the one on his driver’s license. Not the one with candles that match his age. The one that matters in a way only a handful of people truly understand. One year ago, he received a bone marrow transplant after being diagnosed two years earlier with a rare, […]
The Most Dangerous Lie We Tell Ourselves After 50: It’s Too Late.
At some point after 50, a quiet thought takes hold: It’s too late. Too late to change direction. Too late to pursue the idea that won’t let go. Too late to want more than what looks “successful” on paper. The lie doesn’t sound like fear. It sounds practical. Why This Lie is So Powerful Most […]
Retirement: Turns Out, I’m Bad at It
I don’t know who started the rumor that retirement is some sort of magical finish line—probably the same people who said bangs were “easy to maintain.” All I know is, somewhere along the way, we bought into this glossy brochure version of our “golden years,” complete with sunset walks, limitless leisure, and the sudden urge […]