HELP! THERE'S NOTHING LEFT ON MY "WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP" LIST!

It's an iconic question: "What do you want to be when you grow up?"  Being asked is sort of a childhood rite of passage.

It often came up during my parents' dinner parties, when I had to pass out tiny little sweet and sour hotdogs that, in that era, were passed off as exquisite hors d'oeuvres.  Hey - it was the 70s, when men wore semi-fluorescent lime green pants and women wore mink shoulder wraps with the poor animal's taxidermied head and feet attached, doubling as clasps. (I still remember my mom actually wearing one of the furry contraptions to church.  My 6-year-old-self couldn't take in Holy Mass while starring into the glass eyes of a creature that looked a lot like my sister's beloved hamster, Petey).    Even then I knew greasy cocktail wieners were the least of my concerns.

I suspect many of us had at least a few of the following milestones on our list of things we wanted to happen: 

     Go to school

     Get a job

     Buy a car

     Fall in love 

     Get married

     Get a dog (feel free to insert "cat," or "goldfish" or  even"ferret")

     Buy a house

     Have children

But recently I've been asking myself, "What am I supposed to do now that I've done all the things on my list? 

I still have plenty of life left in me, but I find myself without a roadmap.  Or at least a roadmap created by my younger self.  What am I supposed to do now that I'm staring into a great abyss?

Fortunately, I realize I'm not alone.  There are millions of us poised in this incredible, liberating phase of life: no longer in the frantic years raising kids and pushing to get ahead in our careers, but before we're ready to fully embrace AARP (yes, we joined because at some point we turned 50, but even then we knew we were really way too young to be a member).  We've paid our dues, personally and professionally, and now we're ready for new adventures.

In 2015, Marc Freedman wrote a great article in the Wall Street Journal entitled "How To Make the Most of Longer Lives."  He points out that, because people are living longer, there's a new chapter of life beyond midlife but before old age.  And he says this new chapter needs a name, so it will have a "coherent identity."

According to Mr. Freedman, the first person to identify this new, yet unnamed, phase of life wanted to call it "middlescence." [crickets]. Gee, I can't imagine why that one didn't stick. BOOORRRRRRIIIINNNNGGGG!!!

What a cool thought, however - a set of bonus years just waiting to be explored and enjoyed.   An extra dessert in life.  A few extra miles.  The article captivated me.

Then I set out to find the name, so I could, at minimum, identify where I was in life (but, really, I'm just incredibly competitive, and wanted to come up with the quintessential appellation that would settle into perpetual nomenclature.  Sad but true.).

People in this phase of life are typically called "baby boomers."  But it really isn't about our age, or the fact that we have a disproportionate influence on sales and marketing decisions.  It's something much bigger.  

Here's what I think is going on.  Our kids are grown up, and many of us feel less pressure (and even a certain sense of accomplishment) at our jobs.  So, maybe this is the point in life when we are supposed to enjoy the life we've built as a result of all our hard work.  Maybe, in these years, we should be focusing less on "doing," and more on "being."  Maybe this is the time for us to start enjoying what we've spent decades building. 

Not long after reading Mr. Freedman's article, I had the following chat with my friend, Flora, who'd originally told me about the piece:

     Me (all excited):  I have the perfect name for the new phase!

     Flora  (patient, but probably rolling her eyes because we were on the phone and she 

           knew I couldn't see her):   Oh, yeah?   What would you call it?  

     Me (so proud of myself, knowing it was perfect):   The Route 66 Years!  Can't you 

            just picture yourself in a turquoise 1957 Chevy convertible, with the wind in your 

            hair?  Can't you just feel the freedom?

     Flora  (laughing - and, from what I could tell, not faking it):  Can I be in the front seat 

            this time around?

Originally, I wanted to call this blog "The Route 66 Years," but then I ran into a little roadblock called trademark law.  Plus, friends and family of all ages told me they'd actually read the blog without being bribed (or threatened).  They reminded me that a person doesn't have to be in this new, yet unnamed (except in my own mind), phase of life in order to embrace ordinary moments that make life extraordinary.  They, too, wanted the opportunity to wrap a diaphanous scarf around their heads (or slip on a baseball hat) and live life purposefully, with wild abandon, and deliberate joy.  

So that's how "Joyride By Annie" was born.  In the front seat of a '57 Chevy.

I hope you're enjoying the ride.  I know I am.  

PS - I'm dying to know what you would call this new phase of life.  Please let me know in the Comments section below.  Everyone who comments will receive a "Joyride By Annie" tote bag.  Not one of those cheap things, but a really nice, heavy-duty canvas tote, with the vintage Joyride picture on it!  So much fun!

XOXO Annie