If you’re past 40, you’re in good company, says author and journalist Rena Pederson. About 38 million women are in the 40 to 65 age bracket, and these women can expect to live at least 20 years longer than their parents and grandparents.
Wondering what to do with all that extra time? You may want to read Pederson’s book, “What’s Next? Women Redefining Their Dreams in the Prime of Life” (Perigee, $14.95). Pederson, vice president and editorial page editor of the Dallas Morning News, interviewed more than 30 accomplished women to learn what kind of compass they used to sail through midlife. The result is a compelling account of their midlife transitions, with stories from women as varied as Anna Quindlen, Julia Child and Elizabeth Dole.
Q. What motivated you to write this book?
A. A friend of mine had written a book about men changing direction at midlife, called “Halftime,” and I told him he should do a sequel about women. He suggested I do it.
Q. What did you discover in doing the research?
A. I found there were several commonalities that emerged pretty quickly when you go about changing your life. A high percentage [of women interviewed] suggested that you had to find time . . . to think [about] “who am I, who do I want to be five years from now, 10 years from now, [and] how do I get there?”
The second step is to find time to be in communion with others, to have a circle of friends who support you. Roughly 80 percent of the women also said faith was very important to them. They all had a strong sense of values, a moral and ethical compass that helped them decide what they wanted to do with their life.
Another thing that emerged was, “Get good advice.” Women worry about money, because women still make less, and save less, than men.
And finally, [I learned], just do it, jump in and don’t worry about failure. I’ve discovered in midlife that there is no such thing as failure. It’s an overrated concept.
Q. Did you have a favorite interview?
A. I loved them all, but one of the more unusual stories was Evelyn Gregory, who became a flight attendant at 72. She had wanted to be a flight attendant when she was younger, and at that time, to be what was called a stewardess, you also had to be a registered nurse [and she wasn’t]. Her father also . . . discouraged her, so she went on to college, got married, and had three children. The children grew up, the husband retired, the husband passed away, she was walking on the beach and thought, “You know, I believe I’ll do what I’ve always wanted.”
She applied, at 70, to [one airline]. They turned her down. She came back at 71, they turned her down again, and when she came back at 72, they said, “We really like your spirit,” and referred her to Mesa Airlines. [Mesa] hired her.
She had this marvelous ripple effect [on other older women who wanted to pursue something], and I found that over and over–when these women would act on their dreams or their instinct, it would empower the women around them or embolden them to act on theirs as well.
Q. So courage has a ripple effect?
A. Yes, it definitely does.
Q. How would you describe this book?
A. It’s a guidebook with real women providing new templates for women. In the past there was only one template. Today’s women have more options, because the laws have changed, the culture has changed and they can expect to live 20 years longer, so they can consider a new career after menopause.
They didn’t have that option before, and what that means is chronological age is not relevant anymore and the old rules aren’t relevant. This is new territory, and when you have more choices you can go in several different directions, so you need to manage your life more consciously. You need to be CEO of your life.
Q. So if you were not working as a journalist, what would you be doing?
A. I would probably be in Colorado, writing novels full time. . . . There’s a great quote from Gene Roddenberry, who created “Star Trek”: “You go the direction you look.” I think he was talking about the stars, but I think it’s so true. Don’t look back, don’t look down, look up and look ahead. And I think I have myself pointed in the direction I want to go now.
