It may sound like a strange question, but I've been feeling like a "fish out of water", and I am not alone. I know other women are struggling with this feeling as well. Here are some of the issues I'm dealing with:
- I am out of the work force, but I still want to work. I don't want to just volunteer, but I don't want to start "from scratch" on a new job.
- I am reviewing my resume, and I wonder "how far back" should I go to put everything and every job on a piece of paper. Hell, I don't even know if all those people I used to work for are still in business. Let alone know their addresses or phone numbers.
- It just doesn't feel like my energy is supposed to be spent worrying about meetings, deadlines, other people's agendas, and kissing up to managers and bosses younger than me but getting paid more money. I know that is what awaits me if I go back to the kind of work I did when I was younger.
- I can't seem to decide on my style...there doesn't seem to be a place in the department store that captures me...I know I'm not supposed to be in the Junior or Misses department, but I can't deal with the ugly styles in the Woman's department either..those high water pants and floral prints just scream "YOU ARE OLD" to me!
So what is going on? We are in MAJOR transition. But other than menopause..who talks about the real transition for us women who are entering this new phase of life? It's more than watching wrinkles increase on our faces, our chins doubling up, and our waistlines getting thicker. It is a transition of mindset as well.
I notice, I am thinking differently. I look at situations and problems differently. I am appreciating my wisdom, and I am looking for ways to pass it on. But a job is not the way to do it anymore!! I can't sum it up on a resume. I want to write books, or sit in circles and just teach and explain and give advice to younger women. I don't want to call it "retirement", because it isn't about me just stopping and going to the golf course. It's not about wandering around. It's still important for me to receive compensation for what I know from others who can benefit. But where in the marketplace does a 60 year old Black woman fit? Other than Oprah, who is addressing this issue?
It's something I've been struggling with, so that is why I put it out there!! I don't know what my wisdom is worth, or who will buy what I know...it just seems like it is time to discover ways to package all of it!! And make it look good too!!
So, if you are identifying with this kind of transition...let me know!! Maybe there are ways we women in our 60's can create a space to share our wisdom, even as we grow in it!!
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