There’s a mild to confusing uprising amongst my peers on and offline. We are beginning our journey to being codgers. I’m 47. I’ve been feeling the midlife pinch for the last couple of years and of late, have become somewhat belligerent. I’m quitting things left and right, savoring every “No”, feeling like I can’t do one more thing that is asked of me.
Housework has all the appeal of a colonoscopy. Career trajectories have slumped like my bust line. I’m just waiting for the hump to pop out and to start eating my meals with all the relish of a POW. At 4am, 10am and 4pm respectively. I’ve been hanging out with senior citizens a bit much lately and am getting the brush off from a 10 year old who does not wish me to walk her to the bus stop. Fine. I didn’t want to stand out in the freezing cold anyway. Yes, middle aged people can sulk.
So what’s to be done? We’re as awkward as preteens, entering either the most delightful or painful portions of our lives. We’re either scrambling to hold on to the last shreds of our youth or digging our fingers into the soil to keep from slipping straight into the grave. And it changes every day, sometimes several times a day.
To relieve myself from the constant aches and pains and angst and regrets, I’m opening up my annual blog contest. Welcome to The Green Study “What’s on the B Side of that 45?” Contest. Let’s talk about our expectations, disappointments and joys of hitting that magical halfway point. If you’re a youngster, tell me what you hope for. If you’re past it and rolling your eyes at all this midlife nonsense, tell us what it meant for you. Humor, tragedy, ennui – whatever you’ve got.
Guidelines:
Write a previously unpublished blog post or if you’re not a blogger, an essay (with title) 200-700 words long about the pleasures and pains of midlife. Submit it through my Contact page by Sunday, December 7th 2014, 12:00 am, Midnight (US Standard Central Time). Please note that your formatting is retained when I receive it – the Contact page makes it look like it has disappeared.
One entry per person please. The contest begins as soon as this post goes public.
The winners will be notified on Wednesday, December 10th, 2014 by 12:00 pm (US Standard Central Time).
Shipping of the prizes and donations will take place by December 17th. Guest blog posting will occur between December 17th and December 31st, 2014.
All entries will be judged by me, myself and I. It’s entirely subjective.
1st Prize: Your entry will be posted as a guest post to my blog, you will be sent one The Green Study Coffee Mug and I will make a $100 donation to the American Red Cross on your behalf to your local Red Cross Chapter or their International Disaster Response fund.
2nd Prize: Your entry will be posted as a guest post to my blog, you will be sent one The Green Study Coffee Mug and I will make a $75 donation to the American Red Cross on your behalf to your local Red Cross Chapter or their International Disaster Response fund.
3rd Prize: Your entry will be posted as a guest post to my blog, you will be sent one The Green Study Coffee Mug and I will make a $50 donation to the American Red Cross on your behalf to your local Red Cross Chapter or their International Disaster Response fund.
All participants will receive a priceless, irreplaceable postcard from Minneapolis (although it actually cost $1.00 and can be bought at the airport, in large quantities).
I will ship prize winners’ mugs stateside or internationally (with no guarantee that it will arrive or that it will arrive in one piece), just because I like to hold up the line at the post office because I haven’t filled out the right forms. It seems like a middle-aged thing to do.
If any former participants and/or winners read this post, please feel free to comment on the veracity of The Green Study contests. Please let readers know that you’ve received your prizes and I haven’t shown up at your front door looking for a place to stay, just because I was in the area. Previous winners are allowed to participate and an updated mug is in production.
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