When it comes to understanding what happens to people as they go through life, the unending topsy-turvy of daily life, one needs expert guidance and insight.

Jane Fonda’s got wisdom to share and it’s worthy to watch.

Harvard does, too. In its 85 years of studying adult development, the lauded researchers have concluded that the most important factor in long-term health and happiness is Human Connections. Friends, lovers, husbands-and-wives. Parents, siblings, cousins, and neighbors. Even a daily visit with the mailman can suffice. I know because, during our recent life pause, the protracted Quarantine required to negative the deadly effects of Covid, his daily visit was one of our constant connections. It was mutually beneficial for both our physical and mental health.

Today is my birthday and my life is definitely in its third act. I’m relishing the freedom and lack of obligations that accompany retirement, though like all humans I ascribe to boundaries such as traffic lights, days, weeks, and weekends. As well as the rule: first you work and then you play. While I was privileged to play in school, I buckled down for college and a successful career, with a dedication to public service throughout.

I complied with the Golden Rule, a worthy and workable playbook for life.

A legendary structure for writing is called The Hero’s Jurney. Invented by Joseph Campbell, it’s the common template of stories that involve a hero who goes on an adventure, is victorious in a decisive crisis and comes home changed or transformed. This structure aligns with my life, hopefully, yours, too. We adventured, faced crises, and atoned with renewed dedication to healthy lifestyles.

Along with my sidekick husband, I’ve adventured Elsewhere to visit our country’s 50 states and soon-to-be 45 countries of the world, a number that near-equals 1/4 of the countries in the world. Thus, we adhered to the adventure cycle through middle age and beyond. Health issues for both of us were an abyss that modern medicine and great love helped to transform our bodies, minds, and spirits with renewed dedication to healthy lifestyles – to travel as we can.

I returned to the small-town milieu where I misspent my youth via Writing, with a series of books I’ve entitled Faith, Family, Frenzy! Four books have been written and soon a fifth will join them. It’s a cozy mystery and I hope it will delight you when it’s published.