This piece was written by one of our dear readers—a woman with something real to say. Each month, we handpick the best submissions for Dear Reader because we’re after that PROVOKED bite: truth, intelligence, and heart. These stories come from women our age—women who’ve lived enough to know better and still care enough to tell it anyway. Because being seen and heard matters. Because storytelling is how we stitch ourselves to one another. And because when one woman speaks her truth, another finally recognizes her own. — Susan Dabbar, Editor-in-Chief

Just because I’m a certain age doesn’t mean I’m professionally cooked.

They look at me as if I am much closer to the grave than I was four months ago. They hug me gingerly and smile at me as if to say, “I’m glad I got to see you before it’s too late.” As if I wasn’t just recently fretting about deadlines and how to improve my copy department. 

I wait for questions about the new communications business I’ve launched or the freelance writing I’ve been doing. Instead, they ask me, “How is your retirement going?”

The question takes me aback the first few times I hear it; then, it riles me. Yes, I left my full-time job as a communications director for a small marketing agency. No, I didn’t take another full-time job. But I’ve worked independently before, so why is it different now?

It’s because of my age. Some former colleagues and friends assume I’ll be spending the rest of my limited time on earth in a housecoat watching all four hours of TODAY. Indeed, I’m creeping up on the time when many professional women stop working and start living on Social Security benefits and retirement savings. But not everyone. 

I Left the Job, Not the Work  

What happens if you realize your work isn’t as inspiring as it used to be, or if you feel a gentle but persistent nudge toward the door from your employer? That’s where I found myself last spring. After six years in my leadership role, I hit the professional ceiling. My attempt to build new aspects of my department to challenge myself and my team landed nowhere. For example, I pitched adding public relations and book editing services. Instead, it sounded more and more like artificial intelligence could step in and create the words my writers and I held so dearly. 

I felt no malice; it just seemed like the time to go. “Where to?” I asked myself. “Not to another full-time office job,” I replied, which was a good answer because, let’s face it, how many senior-level opportunities exist for mature professionals? 

I’m not the only one feeling my professional clock ticking. In a recent survey of 1,656 workers aged 50 and older, AARP found that 64% had experienced or witnessed age discrimination in the workplace, while 22% said they felt pushed out of work because of their age. I wasn’t exactly pushed out of my job, but I wasn’t encouraged to stay, either. Still, I know for a fact that women like me are experienced and possess the ideal amount of “I don’t give a flying fig what anyone thinks” to make them viable members of the workforce.

I’m more adept at learning technology than younger people realize. Did they transition seamlessly from an electric typewriter to a clunky personal computer, master the fax machine and the internet, then nimbly move through the latest advances in laptops, smartphones, digital media, and online communication platforms? I’m no Steve Jobs, but I pick up new tech and put it to work. 

Rather than set me back, my menopause era allowed me to slow down and recognize my priorities. I no longer needed to work until 10 p.m. on a project; it would still be there in the morning, and it would still be done well. I took my health as seriously as my work, and both benefited. Now on the other side, I feel thankful for the reset.

Six Dogs and a Non-Profit

When it became evident that doors wouldn’t be flinging open for me, I decided to open my own. A month after leaving my full-time job, I launched my own PR and communications company, and I jumped back into freelance writing. Two months later, I started a nonprofit focused on literacy skills for children and families. I’m also working on special projects with a couple of friends. 

Oh, and in the last three months I’ve unexpectedly turned dog walking into a lucrative side hustle. I have six four-legged clients, and I log five or six miles of walking a day. During these walks, my mind focuses on the simple pleasures of breathing fresh air and bonding with animals. Afterward, I tackle my other work with a clear mind.

Lately, I’ve been rattling off all of these projects when someone asks how my retirement is going. Their eyes widen. I realize it may seem like I’m throwing everything against the wall to see what sticks. If that’s true, it’s because I’m discovering more about myself as I age. Challenges inspire me rather than scare me. I used to worry about “What if?” and now I think “Why not?” 

I won’t slow down until my mind and body tell me it’s time. Maybe then I’ll put on the housecoat, but I’m never going to watch a half-day of morning programs. For now, I’m getting dressed, stepping into the business world, and showing everyone that my retirement isn’t going very well at all.