Brighton Lunch

writerintheattic
Mar 19, 2018
3 min read

Sometimes you just have to be brave and step out of your comfort zone and go do something different to find yourself again. Who knew that a trip to Brighton, on a gorgeous sunny day last week, to meet local members of The Mutton Club for lunch ( a group of 'mid-life' women I follow on Twitter and Facebook) would do just that?

I'd been feeling restless and unsettled, not able to put my finger on why? Writing is hard work, bloody and brutal, yet immensely enjoyable ~ even the 'down days.' When it's only in retrospect to feel that you've done a good days work in forging ahead with all things writing and trying to get published. Me and 'Writer in the attic' was having a bit of a wobble. I'd lost my mojo and wondering if somehow I'd left it all too late? When I was working at other things, and life got in the way of what I really wanted to be doing? Should I have started this when I was younger?

It's amazing what a trip to the seaside can do. Even more amazing were the group of women I met for lunch at a restaurant a stone's throw from Brighton's seafront. I needn't have worried about meeting up with a group of strangers, it was like meeting old friends, such was the immediate familiarity. What a fabulous, diverse group of aged 40 plus women you are (we are)! All of us from different backgrounds, from being involved in TV, to the Arts, to Fashion. Conversations ranged from "Hello, how are you?" to midlife healthy sex lives in 0-60 seconds, or so it seemed! It felt totally natural and uninhibited, loving and supportive, not competitive at all. Conversations were far removed from being crass or offensive, though we may have made a waiter or two blush as they overheard our chatter. It was a fabulous, fun filled couple of hours or so.

Travelling home, I felt energised and alive, still buzzing days later. It had occurred to me that on my website / blog while I hadn't been exactly fibbing about my age, I had been economical with the truth ~ it's an ageist world we live in after all. I realised feeling that I wasn't being wholly authentic had been holding me back. I wasn't practicing what I preach either ~ "be yourself," I tell others. Should I have started younger? What was I thinking!

So here I am, a woman of a certain age and proud of it. I've had an amazing life so far, and not about to roll over and do cosy just yet. I feel like I'm entering a new phase of my life, defiantly not slowing down, and looking for opportunities. I have a lot to offer ~ knowledge, wisdom and a life not yet half lived! I welcome being one of the Flock, a fellow member of The Mutton Club. Oh my age? The big 6.0. in June ~ bring it on! A bucket list trip is planned to celebrate, but more of that another time.

If you are a 'mid-life' woman, or curious about The Mutton Club here are the details below. If you are that mid-life woman, join us, share as much about yourself or as little as you care to, it's all good. It's a world wide community too. There's tips, advice and.....well, there's so much going on you have to check it out for yourself. I've found it invaluable.

I've found my tribe *big smiles.* Big thank you and hugs for a lovely lunch to Rachel (organiser and founder of The Mutton Club), Suzie, Victoria, Bridgit, Julia and Sarah.