I wrote about going to a Heart concert (which was amazing by the way, those ladies are still killing it in their 70s) and being slapped in the face with an existential crisis.
My husband and I saw Heart in 2012 a year into our relationship and they were so phenomenal! My kids enjoy Heart on our 10 year anniversary playlist we made last year but their favorite is Foreigner. I sing Rhythm of the Rain every night to my 8 yo for the last 4 years so they appreciate 1960s-today. But KPop Demon Hunters is number one in their hearts all summer!
Aw Karen, that song brought back a few memories. I hadn't seen the video only listened to it a lot waaaaay back when. Huge hair!
Music is timeless - I love all sorts of music genres. For me there's some songs or pieces of classical music/film music/instrumentals that are the soundtrack to life events. I shared one song that was an anthem for me during a really tough rollercoaster.
I love that your kids are into our gen X music too! I saw Foreigner a few years ago… they sounded really good. Air Supply too still sounds amazing, and they’re still touring!
Hi Jessica - thanks for this sharing opportunity! I hope you're well.
I started a collaboration project with some caregiver friends. 'Letters from a Caregiver' Every Thursday, our Younger Selves Receive a Letter of Wisdom, Compassion, and Hope. This is the first - Intro and my letter: https://www.carermentor.com/p/letters-from-a-caregiver
Hi Jessica, thanks for the opportunity to share again here. During September I've written about a few different topics but here is my essay about ‘The Quiet Power of Compounding’ - https://traceyfenner.substack.com/p/the-quiet-power-of-compounding-why We usually hear the word ‘compounding’ tossed around within the financial world, where pennies become pounds and small, steady investments eventually grow into life-changing wealth. But compounding isn’t just about money, it’s a principle of life. Thanks for reading if this is of interest for you :)
The last 8 weeks I was all in on The Summer I Turned Pretty and I became one of the millennial moms waking up at 4-5 am every Wednesday to watch new episodes. Last week I wrote about the series finale and how the show helped me process my own grief over the last 3 years.
I watched the first seasons but haven't gotten to the last one yet. My tween daughter is a huge fan! (I didn't read all of your piece because I didn't want any spoilers :) )
I've also been obsessed with TSITP this summer. People keep asking me why I feel so connected to this teenage love triangle, and I think you've really encapsulated it in your post. The show isn't just about a teenage love triangle. It goes much deeper than that. For you, it helped process grief. For others I've spoken to, it was about remaining hopeful about love. Others talk about the friendships. And so on. Thanks for sharing your take!
Hi everyone! I'm back after summer break. Needed time to be alone with my thoughts without looming deadlines. Great to be here again! This week, I wrote about AI and the future of work -- what it might become, what kind of positive revolution it could foster, how capitalism might ruin it for everyone. Turns out, I have more to say, so installment 2 will be next week, or so.
Hey all you beauties. I was busy this month (I'm busy every month, don't know why September feels different). I'm posting all of the essays here because they're all quite different.
Trying something new, too. The last 2 essays are videos of me reading. I love doing it. Have a great weekend. Fun to be back here. Thanks, Jessica, and everyone else who contributes here.
Oh! I also started a daily inspirational quote posts that I've designed using my brand (memes?) in Notes.
AND am working on a top secret project with another midlife pal that will be teasingly unveiled over the next few months to debut in the new year. Super excited about it. Please forgive me for over-posting, but there's so much I want to share. Hugs to all. xo
Hi everyone! Good lord, what a year this month has been.
I turned 44, which feels weird, but I'm feeling better than ever. In part because I started a GLP-1, and I wrote about it. It's my second most viewed and shared post, and I'm really proud of it. It was a lot of research and writing, but I wanted to give a new perspective to a conversation that people have Big Emotions about.
Such a thoughtful, honest and informative piece. Thank you for this! I recently found out that I have the worst genetic combination for late onset Alzheimer’s. (I’ve written about it on my Substack.) In the rabbit hole I’ve gone down since acquiring this knowledge, I’ve seen quite a bit of research on GLP 1s and the prevention and even cure of Alzheimer’s. Obviously there’s a lot more investigation to be done, but these drugs to seem to be more than a little miraculous.
thanks Leslie! The research on Alzheimer's prevention is staggering. My coworker (who is in her 60s) went on it, in part, for prevention. Keep investigating - that is a really scary thing to face, and all the information you can get will be crucial going forward as you make your decisions on prevention. ❤️
I did not think this would effectively cure my autoimmune disorder, but I haven't taken a single antihistamine in two months. At my worst, I was taking up to 4 Zyrtec and 4 Pepcid a day just to keep my symptoms at "tolerable". It really feels like a miracle. It's soooo nice to not be sick all the time.
I'm so curious about this Kari. Can't wait to read about your experience and thoughts. I have considered it myself and my reservations are more creative than practical.
Definitely not! My challenge is always wrapping it up. My mind spins out into a million different directions and bringing it in to a single focus point is so hard!
I launched a menopause project for Nutrafol and I edited the entire thing. Not really writing but really proud of what we created. https://nutrafol.com/menopauseedit/
This is gorgeous! You should definitely be proud! I've looked into Nutrafol... I haven't experienced massive hair loss or anything, just a slight but noticeable thinning that I don't like.
Hello, fellow midlife ladies! Jessica, thank you for the opportunity to share our work here.
I launched my Substack, "What's Her Problem?," in August and mostly write personal essays. However, last week, I took the leap into the first episode in what will become an Interview Series. I was nervous about everything from messing up the technology to my interviewing skills, but I'm happy with how this first one turned out. I spoke with Sarah Hom, Accessibility Expert and Disability Justice Advocate about challenges in accessibility for theatre patrons and employees. Although we focused on theatre arts venues, her messages about accessibility and inclusion ring true across all fields of work. I hope you'll spend some time watching or listening.
And then I did the bravest thing on Substack so far (for me), and I did a live conversation about the post and the topic of assumptions with a fellow writer, Lisa Bolin. I loved doing the live and the response has been super positive, so I will definitely do it again.
Thanks for the enlightening post on assumptions Liza, and the helpful techniques you including for countering them. For the most part, I give people the benefit of the doubt and try not to take things personally. I figure everyone has things going on in their lives I know nothing about. But I realise this positive interpretation often falls away when I'm feeling at my most vulnerable, and then the assumptions/worries creep in. I hope that the next time this happens I'll be brave enough to surface my feelings and share them!
Hi Jessica - this is my first time here. Thank you so much for the opportunity to share. I wrote a couple of things in September. This one is largely about trying to find my midlife, post-career, midst-motherhood identity. Hope October is kind to everyone! https://allmyinklings.substack.com/p/an-iceberg-of-sad-sods
Hi All— What a nice forum! Thanks for sharing space. I had a longer than typical interlude between posting in August and September, too. Trying to sort out what the heck my Substack *is*. But I dashed off a quick piece on boredom and have been struck by how favorably folks are reacting to it:
I wrote practically nothing all summer, and then I finally hit send on something earlier this week. It’s about going on a summer trip and going on a whole separate trip in my mind — into my past, into what could have been and into my feelings about all of it.
It’s also about losing the ability to read books during the whole kids/summer/family flap that was June, July and August. I tie it in to reading The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley, a book that was super interesting and creative!
Thanks to this share thread, I've just discovered you and now I feel like I know you. Wanna be friends? The stream of (un?)consciousness in my head is quite similar to yours. Glad you're back. Just consider your jump from pre-summer to now a blip in the time travel matrix. Thanks for sharing.
I do want to be friends! Are we already friends? I recognize your name from this space and feel like I must have read some of your work or maybe I saw you in one of the meetups. Heading over to check out more about you! A blip in the time travel matrix is the perfect way to think of it. Thank you for validating my weird experience!
Happy last weekend of September. (oof!)
I wrote about going to a Heart concert (which was amazing by the way, those ladies are still killing it in their 70s) and being slapped in the face with an existential crisis.
https://midlifegrowthedge.substack.com/p/i-went-to-a-heart-concert-an-existential?r=11s0ba
My husband and I saw Heart in 2012 a year into our relationship and they were so phenomenal! My kids enjoy Heart on our 10 year anniversary playlist we made last year but their favorite is Foreigner. I sing Rhythm of the Rain every night to my 8 yo for the last 4 years so they appreciate 1960s-today. But KPop Demon Hunters is number one in their hearts all summer!
Aw Karen, that song brought back a few memories. I hadn't seen the video only listened to it a lot waaaaay back when. Huge hair!
Music is timeless - I love all sorts of music genres. For me there's some songs or pieces of classical music/film music/instrumentals that are the soundtrack to life events. I shared one song that was an anthem for me during a really tough rollercoaster.
Thanks for the nostalgia!
Not sure what was bigger - the hair or the shoulder pads? ;) Thank you for reading and relating!
I love that your kids are into our gen X music too! I saw Foreigner a few years ago… they sounded really good. Air Supply too still sounds amazing, and they’re still touring!
Hi Jessica - thanks for this sharing opportunity! I hope you're well.
I started a collaboration project with some caregiver friends. 'Letters from a Caregiver' Every Thursday, our Younger Selves Receive a Letter of Wisdom, Compassion, and Hope. This is the first - Intro and my letter: https://www.carermentor.com/p/letters-from-a-caregiver
This new section in my Carer Mentor publication, is growing with letters from two other caregivers this month, as well as another letter from myself yesterday https://www.carermentor.com/s/letters-from-a-caregiver
It's been comforting to read each other's letters. I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else has been publishing.
Hi Jessica, thanks for the opportunity to share again here. During September I've written about a few different topics but here is my essay about ‘The Quiet Power of Compounding’ - https://traceyfenner.substack.com/p/the-quiet-power-of-compounding-why We usually hear the word ‘compounding’ tossed around within the financial world, where pennies become pounds and small, steady investments eventually grow into life-changing wealth. But compounding isn’t just about money, it’s a principle of life. Thanks for reading if this is of interest for you :)
I was not familiar with the concept of compounding and really enjoyed your piece.
Thank you Liza for taking the time to read my piece 😊 glad you enjoyed it.
This is very comforting, especially in our culture where enormous instant success is held up to be the norm.
Thank you Maura, glad to hear this is comforting. Yes you are right it would seem more and more this way, many people want 'instant success'
The last 8 weeks I was all in on The Summer I Turned Pretty and I became one of the millennial moms waking up at 4-5 am every Wednesday to watch new episodes. Last week I wrote about the series finale and how the show helped me process my own grief over the last 3 years.
https://open.substack.com/pub/heydary/p/thank-you-jenny-han?r=qwrmd&utm_medium=ios
I watched the first seasons but haven't gotten to the last one yet. My tween daughter is a huge fan! (I didn't read all of your piece because I didn't want any spoilers :) )
One of my best friends just started season 3 and I’m so jealous she still has so many good episodes left!
I've also been obsessed with TSITP this summer. People keep asking me why I feel so connected to this teenage love triangle, and I think you've really encapsulated it in your post. The show isn't just about a teenage love triangle. It goes much deeper than that. For you, it helped process grief. For others I've spoken to, it was about remaining hopeful about love. Others talk about the friendships. And so on. Thanks for sharing your take!
Hi everyone! I'm back after summer break. Needed time to be alone with my thoughts without looming deadlines. Great to be here again! This week, I wrote about AI and the future of work -- what it might become, what kind of positive revolution it could foster, how capitalism might ruin it for everyone. Turns out, I have more to say, so installment 2 will be next week, or so.
https://ingridwagnerwalsh.substack.com/p/what-do-we-want-from-work
Hey all you beauties. I was busy this month (I'm busy every month, don't know why September feels different). I'm posting all of the essays here because they're all quite different.
1. DIY Pharmacology (the doctor DID NOT prescribe), The Amateur Apothecary: https://nantepper.com/p/the-amateur-apothecary
2. In observance of Suicide Prevention/Awareness Month, What the Semicolon Means to Me: https://nantepper.com/p/what-semicolon-means-to-me
3. Channeling anger and rage to make change with love, I'm in the Mood for Love: https://nantepper.com/p/im-in-the-mood-for-love
4. A treatise on MY boobs, for Leslie Senevey's planned roundup for October, Boobs. A Brief History: https://nantepper.com/p/boobs-a-brief-history
Trying something new, too. The last 2 essays are videos of me reading. I love doing it. Have a great weekend. Fun to be back here. Thanks, Jessica, and everyone else who contributes here.
Oh! I also started a daily inspirational quote posts that I've designed using my brand (memes?) in Notes.
AND am working on a top secret project with another midlife pal that will be teasingly unveiled over the next few months to debut in the new year. Super excited about it. Please forgive me for over-posting, but there's so much I want to share. Hugs to all. xo
Nan, you are prolific. Such interesting topics, all of them. Will read!
Thank you, Ingrid! xo
I loved your boob post, Nan.
Thanks, Liza! xo
Hi everyone! Good lord, what a year this month has been.
I turned 44, which feels weird, but I'm feeling better than ever. In part because I started a GLP-1, and I wrote about it. It's my second most viewed and shared post, and I'm really proud of it. It was a lot of research and writing, but I wanted to give a new perspective to a conversation that people have Big Emotions about.
https://thelongclimb.substack.com/p/i-started-a-glp-1-and-im-ready-to
Such a thoughtful, honest and informative piece. Thank you for this! I recently found out that I have the worst genetic combination for late onset Alzheimer’s. (I’ve written about it on my Substack.) In the rabbit hole I’ve gone down since acquiring this knowledge, I’ve seen quite a bit of research on GLP 1s and the prevention and even cure of Alzheimer’s. Obviously there’s a lot more investigation to be done, but these drugs to seem to be more than a little miraculous.
thanks Leslie! The research on Alzheimer's prevention is staggering. My coworker (who is in her 60s) went on it, in part, for prevention. Keep investigating - that is a really scary thing to face, and all the information you can get will be crucial going forward as you make your decisions on prevention. ❤️
I did not think this would effectively cure my autoimmune disorder, but I haven't taken a single antihistamine in two months. At my worst, I was taking up to 4 Zyrtec and 4 Pepcid a day just to keep my symptoms at "tolerable". It really feels like a miracle. It's soooo nice to not be sick all the time.
I responded on the piece back then, but I want to reiterate how I appreciated your ability to lean in to a tough piece! Thank you for being here!
I'm so curious about this Kari. Can't wait to read about your experience and thoughts. I have considered it myself and my reservations are more creative than practical.
I really enjoyed your post. Thanks for writing it.
I’m anticipating the release of my first novel—The Cassatt Sisters—about our American Impressionist, Mary Cassatt! https://escapeintoart.substack.com/p/mary-cassatts-portrait-in-words?r=jbwme
Congraulations! What an accomplishment!
Thank you, Jessica! And thanks for this forum. 💚
I have been in a funk and haven't gotten anything new out this month. But, I am happy to read others who share.
I have also found it's hard to put things "out" when the insides (or when your life itself) simply need tending. Wishing you well, Michelle. :)
Thank you, and to you, too.
PS I have many drafts waiting for polishing in my drafts folder, though. I just need to do it.
The endless drafts folder is so real!
OMG, I am so glad it isn't just me!
Definitely not! My challenge is always wrapping it up. My mind spins out into a million different directions and bringing it in to a single focus point is so hard!
Yes, and when to finally call it good and release it...
Hi there! I shared a personal essay about my transition into menopause. The post: Are you there, Menopause? It's Me, Vanessa. I've been wanting to write something like this for two years, and it was finally time: https://vanessanovissimowright.substack.com/p/are-you-there-menopause-its-me-vanessa
I launched a menopause project for Nutrafol and I edited the entire thing. Not really writing but really proud of what we created. https://nutrafol.com/menopauseedit/
This is gorgeous! You should definitely be proud! I've looked into Nutrafol... I haven't experienced massive hair loss or anything, just a slight but noticeable thinning that I don't like.
Hello, fellow midlife ladies! Jessica, thank you for the opportunity to share our work here.
I launched my Substack, "What's Her Problem?," in August and mostly write personal essays. However, last week, I took the leap into the first episode in what will become an Interview Series. I was nervous about everything from messing up the technology to my interviewing skills, but I'm happy with how this first one turned out. I spoke with Sarah Hom, Accessibility Expert and Disability Justice Advocate about challenges in accessibility for theatre patrons and employees. Although we focused on theatre arts venues, her messages about accessibility and inclusion ring true across all fields of work. I hope you'll spend some time watching or listening.
https://whatsherproblem.substack.com/p/interview-series-sarah-hom-accessibility
Septembe has been good to me here on Substack. I write two publications. On Scattered crumbs and tangled tales I wrote about my 45 year long love affair with Paris https://scatteredcrumbsandtangledtales.substack.com/p/not-everyones-name-rhymes-with-paris?r=qclcq
On my other Substack, Sharing secrets (and other useful stuff), I wrote a post A Trouble with Assumptions - on how assumptions we make about others and the world may come in the way of making meaningful connections: https://open.substack.com/pub/lizadebevec/p/the-trouble-with-assumptions?r=qclcq&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
And then I did the bravest thing on Substack so far (for me), and I did a live conversation about the post and the topic of assumptions with a fellow writer, Lisa Bolin. I loved doing the live and the response has been super positive, so I will definitely do it again.
You can watch the recording of the live here: https://open.substack.com/pub/lizadebevec/p/live-conversation-the-trouble-with?r=qclcq&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Will definitely read your Paris piece - I also have a long love affair with it! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the enlightening post on assumptions Liza, and the helpful techniques you including for countering them. For the most part, I give people the benefit of the doubt and try not to take things personally. I figure everyone has things going on in their lives I know nothing about. But I realise this positive interpretation often falls away when I'm feeling at my most vulnerable, and then the assumptions/worries creep in. I hope that the next time this happens I'll be brave enough to surface my feelings and share them!
Hi Jessica - this is my first time here. Thank you so much for the opportunity to share. I wrote a couple of things in September. This one is largely about trying to find my midlife, post-career, midst-motherhood identity. Hope October is kind to everyone! https://allmyinklings.substack.com/p/an-iceberg-of-sad-sods
Thanks for sharing! Welcome to Midstack!
Hi All— What a nice forum! Thanks for sharing space. I had a longer than typical interlude between posting in August and September, too. Trying to sort out what the heck my Substack *is*. But I dashed off a quick piece on boredom and have been struck by how favorably folks are reacting to it:
https://open.substack.com/pub/elizabethisheretoo/p/further-ruminations-on-inherited?r=ta1qs&utm_medium=ios
I wrote practically nothing all summer, and then I finally hit send on something earlier this week. It’s about going on a summer trip and going on a whole separate trip in my mind — into my past, into what could have been and into my feelings about all of it.
It’s also about losing the ability to read books during the whole kids/summer/family flap that was June, July and August. I tie it in to reading The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley, a book that was super interesting and creative!
https://open.substack.com/pub/thisisniceforus/p/the-lost-brains-of-summer?r=am2eq&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
I thought the same about you! But I wasn’t subscribed to your publication, so I remedied that today.
I loved this post so much Holly! It's great to have you back writing :)
Thanks to this share thread, I've just discovered you and now I feel like I know you. Wanna be friends? The stream of (un?)consciousness in my head is quite similar to yours. Glad you're back. Just consider your jump from pre-summer to now a blip in the time travel matrix. Thanks for sharing.
I do want to be friends! Are we already friends? I recognize your name from this space and feel like I must have read some of your work or maybe I saw you in one of the meetups. Heading over to check out more about you! A blip in the time travel matrix is the perfect way to think of it. Thank you for validating my weird experience!
Great to see a post from you in my inbox again!
Aww, thanks! I think of you and your adventurous spirit often - usually when I hear a Taylor song!
It’s a family lore story now- my trip got discussed a lot at the spring Heydary wedding!