Episode
I
By Laurel Ross
I
am amazed by the realization that in 9 months, I will
turn 40. It doesn’t seem possible, as forty is
a number reserved for people older than me. It’s
a number that is not supposed to be for me personally.
But yet, it’s true. And I neither can nor want
to escape the event. I’ve decided to work the
glass half full angle to celebrate the decade change.
And more importantly, I’m using the big birthday as
an excuse to move forward with some serious life changes.
Now, you may be wondering why is this relevant to your
life. The answer is simple, the issues I am confronting
relate to all of us. Here is your chance to witness
somebody who is attempting to make life changes in a
very public forum. Willing to put it out there
for others to hopefully learn from, and, at the very
least, maybe get a chuckle or two.
A little bit about who I am. I am 39 years old.
I am single, never married, never engaged. I am
the world’s best Aunt to my nephew Michael and my two
nieces, Brooke & Elizabeth. I have wonderful
parents who now live in Florida, and who continue to
make me a bit insane. I am extremely close to
my only sibling, Sue, who lives with her husband Dan
and the aforementioned children in Ohio. I am
blessed with wonderful friends, who form my other family.
I am a lawyer, and have my own practice, where I am
currently celebrating my 10th year of solo
practice. I live alone, and am relatively content
with that. I am Jewish, although I don’t attend
services with any level of regularity. I tend
to be more serious then I would like, and I am not particularly
good at letting go and having fun, ok, let’s be frank
– I’m a bit of a control freak. I am writing this
column under a pseudonym, and names have been changed
to protect the innocent.
Some of the things I am working toward, and that you
will be reading about in future episodes: learning
to be a better person, emotionally and physically; the
desire and drive to be 40 and fit; career options and
evaluations; juggling work and life; family obligations
and the single woman; the role of friends in this woman’s
life; learning to say no; the gnaw of the biological
clock and not really wanting children; and attempting
to loosen the reins of control.
You wil
l
be a part of my adventures, as I pursue career counseling;
consider attempting a 26 mile overnight walk from Virginia
to Washington DC to raise money for suicide prevention;
fight a speeding ticket; try computer dating; try to
take care of my nieces and nephew; do some charity work
for an awesome organization here in Nassau; diet and
attempt exercise; maybe even an attempt at an open mike
comedy night. And of course, just pursuing everyday
living while looking for a lighter side.
So here goes. I will be attempting to file an
update every two weeks, addressing new issues, and updating
you on other moments. I am open to hearing your
take on all of this, and welcome comments, suggestions,
ideas, criticisms and encouragement. I warn you
in advance that dealing with criticism is an issue that
I will be working on improving in the new decade, so…
So folks, welcome to my warped little world. Hope
you enjoy the ride!
Editors
Note: Laurel Ross welcomes your (gentle) comments. Her
email is LaurelRoss39@aol.com
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