Defining Yourself

After my divorce I was faced with having  to re-define myself.  I was no longer the wife of a Rotarian, the mother in charge of the “All American Booth” at the parish fair, the dutiful housewife who tried in vain to juggle all of the responsibilities that fell under the imaginary title of Director of Domestic Operations. (DODO) for short. I was now, according to my loan documents , “an Unmarried Woman”.  An Unmarried Woman.  It sounded so official.  The Webster’s Dictionary defines the prefix “un”, as the “lack of”, or “the reversal of action”. While there were days when I clearly didn’t know what I wanted,  what I needed,  or who I was,  I knew one thing,  I didn’t want to be “lacking” or going in reverse.  So being the overachiever that I strive to be,  I set out to try new things.  Anything different from the life I lead before I was “undone” by the dissolution of my marriage.  I took a dance class, which led to a sailing group, which led to learning how to drive a boat, and then learning how to ride a motorcycle, then buying a  motorcycle. I got reacquainted with my snow skis, I learned to wakeboard, I switched my music station to country, I changed the color of my hair, I bought new clothes,  I made new friends, and nurtured the ones that didn’t abandon me. I redefined myself. I no longer felt “un ” defined.  If anything…I was completely un-prepared for just how good it felt to be the master of my own destiny, the captain of my own ship. Now I am one bad-ass, motorcycle riding, boat driving, ski bunny, country music, two stepping broad this side of the Mississippi…and I like it!