The Women Reinventing Midlife – It’s Never Too Late

As you know, I believe that we have so many opportunities to reinvent ourselves after midlife. Being an empty nester opens up the doors to finding something you want to do. Whether it’s more travel, learning a craft, being an entrepreneur, or writing a book, this is your time to shine! I began writing this blog six years ago because it’s never too late to try something new. Did I know then that I could earn income as a blogger writing about products and subjects that interest midlife women? No, but I knew it would eventually pay off if I stuck to it. This blog and my presence on social media as an influencer are how I reinvented myself at 59.

This blog is also a platform where I want to introduce to you women reinventing midlife. I hope you enjoy this new series. Today I want to introduce Mary Taugher, a midlife woman, author, and friend.

Reinventing Midlife- Meet Mary Taugher

I met Mary a few years ago when I attended her sister’s and my dear friend’s 60th birthday party in California. Since Mary lives in California and I live in Atlanta, she has happily followed me on Instagram. Most of us on social media platforms already know that we have become instantly connected and feel like best friends, as with Mary and me. So when her sister Sharon said that Mary had just got published, I quickly wanted to be one of her first readers.

Background

Just like many of us, Mary was working before having children. She worked in journalism, public relations, political consulting, and fundraising, all writing and editing jobs. Then raised three kids, and when the youngest went to kindergarten, Mary started looking around at options. Mary struggled for a few years because she didn’t want a full-time job. She had always wanted to write fiction but told herself the usual: I wasn’t talented, creative, or ambitious enough. So Mary started writing on her own for a few years, then was accepted to San Francisco State University’s Creative Writing Program in her early fifties! Her first story was accepted by a literary magazine right after she graduated from the program, and she’s been writing and submitting since. Mary has enough stories now for a collection, which she’s starting to shop around. And she’s 64!

 

Coolest American Stories 2022

The book is a collection of thirteen short stories which feature Mary’s short story, “Fifth of July.” Are you a fan of short stories? Then this book is for you! Even if you don’t read short stories, you’re going to love this book!

The “Fifth of July” is set a dozen years in the future, in an America where everyone is armed, and wearing Kevlar and armored vests is standard, as are everyday shootings. Something to think about for sure, and perhaps not so farfetched, all things considered, these days. The central figures in the “Fifth of July” are Tessa and her family living in a society with guns everywhere, and school halls are designed in a zig-zag manner so that shooters can’t get a straight shot.

After all the stories of gun violence we hear on the news, this story seems more current than set in the future. The “Fifth of July” is a must-read.

Mary Taugher’s fiction has appeared in The Gettysburg Review, Narrative Magazine, Santa Monica Review, Epiphany, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Coolest American Stories 2022, and elsewhere. She lives in San Francisco with her family and is currently working on a short story collection. Mary can be found on Twitter @T57Mary.

Here is a wonderful article about the successful 50 over 50 women who believe success has no age limit? Reinventing midlife can be your next best self!

If you know someone who reinvented herself after midlife, I would love to interview her for the next series!

Thank you for stopping by!