Before my daughter was born, my husband and I used to make trips to a little town north of our home to visit his parents. They lived in a little hamlet with only a post office which was about 45 minutes away back then, long before the busy bypass that exists today was ever thought of. On these trips we spent the time listening to music and making plans. We were young and invincible and getting older seemed like something that happened to other people but not to us.

Fall is in full swing. While some of us are really happy about that, there are those who may feel lost now that summer is over. Not me. I love the change in wardrobe, home décor and even planning meals based on the season. That means the holidays are just around the corner – oh my – barely two months away

Don’t panic. Enjoy every moment of the wonderful things fall has to offer. As always, I have to take stock and determine if I’m ready. Here are some things to add to your TO DO LIST:

Many people can relate to a midlife crisis and find themselves at a crossroad. This may be of your own choosing or thrust upon you by circumstances beyond your control. The origin is less important than how you react to it. Perhaps you decide to pick up and move across country (or the world) to a place you’ve always wanted to live. Maybe you decide to take up a new career. Or go back to school. Some may even retire all together to follow their bliss. I used to think folks who chucked it all to begin again were nuts. Lately, however, I’ve begun to think they are just crazy enough to be geniuses.

Sometimes our lives become stagnant, making us restless and unhappy. We sacrifice our sense of adventure because we believe others would judge us to be selfish if we chose another path. We are victims of our own success, accumulating not only stuff but burdening ourselves with crippling responsibilities and obligations. Somehow we are convinced that to change where we are and what we do would tear a hole in the space time continuum and life as we know it would be sucked into a black hole should we dare to disrupt what is expected of us.

Music has the power to transport you to a moment in time.   Just hearing the first few notes of song can evoke powerful feelings and memories that are etched forever in your mind.  The words may represent first love, a broken heart or to serve as a reminder you can love again.  Sometimes a song becomes a personal anthem, reminding you of inner strength when it seems there is none left.   Whether the moment is happy or brings with it a feeling of sadness, we are hardwired to relive those feelings as it becomes the score to the musical of life. 

As a hardcore Rock ‘n Roll kinda gal, there are just some songs that are meant to be belted out whether in the shower or on a road trip.  There are certainly some (like #35) that transcend genre and could be included on anyone’s Top 100. 

I stopped writing in a diary at about 16 years old. According to Oprah, she has always kept a diary.  Always. Thinking this was the key to her success, I decided to give it a shot. Why should I squander all my brilliant ideas because I am too lazy to write them down?  Reluctantly, I began to scribble a few lines in a notebook but never got serious.  Time passed and I forgot all about it.

Years later, at a point when I thought my life and career were stagnating, I began searching for a way to get back on track.  I had no interest in traditional psychotherapy which costs thousands and takes years.  So, I did the only thing a busy, seemingly normal person might do.  I bought one of those pop psychology-in-a-box programs which explained it was possible to improve myself without all the fuss.  Essentially, that appealed to me because it seemed simple and painless.  Besides, I wasn’t twisted or anything so all I really needed was a psychological Band-Aid.  A daily boost -if you will.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a renaissance woman is one “who is interested in and knows a lot about many things.”  My first reaction when I read that was: define A LOT.  Then upon further consideration (and since I’ve often jokingly professed to be one), this ambiguity leaves room for me and countless others to claim the distinction.  Admittedly, I don’t rule a vast kingdom like Catherine de Medici of Italy, who was one of the very first renaissance women of the 16^th century.  Obviously, given the present-day definition, royal lineage is not a requirement either. Good. This is one of the loopholes I was hoping for.

There are also no stipulations regarding whether your image must be carved into stone or bronze and placed in in a museum. No magnificent oil painting must hang in the Louvre of you riding bareback on a horse. These are all good things since the only decent picture of me is from the 1980’s with big hair and makeup slathered on with a trowel.  

The fundamental differences between men and women extends far beyond physiology and any other -ology you can come up with.  Scientists have studied this exhaustively and one researcher famously pontificated we were from Mars and Venus respectively. While all of this may be true (and I don’t mean to belittle the scientific community) one only need examine how men and women use the available storage in their cars to understand their true differences.

Take for instance, the glove compartment. The car, invented by a man, needed a place to hold gloves specifically used for the purpose of driving. In the early days of the automobile, the driving ensemble was part of the whole package. In advertisements for convertibles, it was common to see a gentleman wearing not only gloves, but a cap and scarf as well.  One can only assume it was important to look dashing while driving around looking like a pilot. Naturally a convenient place to store all this paraphernalia when not in use was needed, so the glove compartment was born. Since men did most of the driving in the early days, it seems only fitting they would claim the glove compartment as their own.