At fifty, the madwoman in the attic breaks loose............" - Erica Jong

by Sunnygal41 22 Replies latest jw experiences

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  AK - Jeff

  I fear the wrong dominant hormone might disqualify me here. But nonetheless, 50 brought a wonderful sense of freedom to me also.

  I had left the bOrg a year and half previous, and my 50th was the first birthday I ever celebrated. [I do have a pic of my first b-day party - but I do not recall it of course]. I was beginning to embrace a whole new world of thought and action, divorced from the organization. Body and soul felt a release from the pressure to comform and perform to anyone's expectations, but those whom I permitted to interlope [wifey etc.].

  I think mortality became real to me that year. I had left the organizations lies and misconcepts behind, and could truthfully look forward to see that I had lived the greater number of years that would be mine already. I became free to be me. I am - like it or turn away.

  Jeff
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  Dagney

  This is soooo true!

  Great thread! I identify with it all.

  "Free at last, free at last...thank God Almighty I am free at last."
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  Nosferatu

  ”It’s a great place to be, as a woman.Anyone else care to share?

  Yeah, women are great places to be :)
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  bythesea

  Great thread and a topic I recently had a conversation on with another woman just yesterday. She is going through her own breakthrough in her life and knows nothing of my JW past(well, kind of past, I'm still fading!). We both agreed that there just seems to come a point when, if you've been feeling controlled or repressed in any sense, that you figure by this fifty-something age you should finally be able to speak up and declare how you feel about it all!

  I admit that I still struggle with making people happy, but it is now confined to just my family and no longer includes anyone from the org and even the brief conversations I've had with my family have turned out well enough to not have caused anyone to be avoiding me! When I state that I feel that by this point in my life I ought to be able to live my life with integrity to MYSELF it seems to hit a note with some.

  I'm discovering a whole world of women out there who have gone through this same point in their lives, having nothing to do with repressive religions! Yeah!!!! Here's to our sisterhood!!!!!! And "brothers", here's to you too!!!!!

  bythesea
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  parakeet

  AK-Jeff: "I fear the wrong dominant hormone might disqualify me here. But nonetheless, 50 brought a wonderful sense of freedom to me also."
  
  I think it's the amount of living rather than hormones that brings that sense of freedom. Several other men I know have expressed the same thought when they reached 50.
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  becca1

  My husband and I will be 50 in 2009. I suggested to him the other day that we use the next three years to better ourselves and our lives in every way. Loose some weight, develope some new good habits, establish some goals and meet them, make some new friends, become more aware of other's feelings, deepen our relashionship with each other.... And then in 09 take a cruise with our kids and celebrate the beginig of the better part of our lives. I want to appreciate what the past has taught me and look foward to the wonders the future has in store.
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  Sunnygal41

  I am soooo thrilled that so many wonderful comments have been left on this thread...........I LOVE the poems and will copy them into a special book I keep for such things..........AK Jeff.........you are my Birthday Brother and can comment on any topic I post...........and, it's great to get a man's perspective, also.

  I was giggling a bit about my newest avatar..........it kind of goes along with my feelings........Krumm is a character from a child's cartoon program that I fell in love with awhile back...........he's got the biggest heart, and is loyal to his friends, but, at this point, he is certainly got an interesting exterior, looks wise. Note the hairy armpits? LOL.........there are times that I don't bother shaving mine either, or my legs for that matter.......I also am amply proportioned, like him.........and, I LOVE what JGnat wrote..........I have my age spots, also, a few wrinkles around the eyes, from laughter..........I have many silver threads among the brunette, which I wear proudly......I love silver hair......it's beautiful and I feel it should be worn proudly.

  Terri
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  Twitch

  like Rett Butler, I simply don’t give a damn

  LOL

  Funny, that phrase has been in my head for awhile now. And it's good

  "Hang on loosely, but don't let go,..."
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  Sunnygal41

  bttt
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  Gretchen956

  Sunny,
  I just had my 50th birthday party too and it set me free! I figure now I can be as eccentric as I like and people will excuse it as old age and senility! I absolutely refuse to roll over for anyone anymore, and that has been my life's work. I'm sure it will make life interesting, but life is an adventure anyway so might as well enjoy it along the way!

  As for independent, that a whole notha story sista!

  ((((((((huggs to you and all of the rest of the crones here on JWD)))))))

  Sherry