Midlife Renaissance Woman

by Linda Austin

My mother did not recognize her daughter. She remembered the little girl so shy she would freeze in the driveway if a neighbor spoke to her. A girl who could not eat at a restaurant because someone might be looking at her. A girl who was quiet in the presence of others and did not want to stand out. But here was this grown girl speaking to a crowd of about one hundred older men and women, one of whom heckled her because the topic of World War 2 and Japan was a sensitive one.

At the age of forty-six I finally finished writing my mother’s memoir of growing up poor in Japan, living through World War 2 and marrying one of the enemy. At first this book was intended for family only, but I realized almost no Americans knew about the lives of ordinary Japanese around the time of this war so I adapted the book for anyone to read and made it available on Amazon. One of the local book stores carried it. I had never written anything before, certainly not for strangers to see.

I realized I would need to publicize the book or only friends and family would know about it, and so this found me speaking to a large room full of people. I was not afraid because I knew this story and I wanted others to know that an enemy country’s people are human and relatable—they laugh and cry and wish for peace like everyone else. I had a passion to relay this message that was always pertinent. I also now had a passion to encourage everyone to write their stories, or to capture the lived history of their parents or grandparents. With this passion I was able to do many presentations without fear. I wrote media releases and was even able to do some radio interviews. To this day I am still passionate about inspiring and teaching others about writing and publishing their life stories and family histories.

Once word about my mother’s book got out in newspaper articles and interviews, I was asked to speak about to a women’s association of Japanese and others interested in Japan. Excited to find this group, I joined, along with my mother. Within months I was asked to be a board member—the president! What?! Obviously getting people to commit to any kind of leadership position was difficult. I was brave and said yes.

As president of this women’s association I was automatically on the board of the group’s parent organization. This board consisted of CEOs, directors, managers, lawyers, professors and others of much higher standing than little me, just a part-time office worker. When my term as president of the women’s group was over, I was asked to remain on the parent association’s board and eventually became one of the vice presidents, which I still am today. I help organize cultural events at some of our local museums.

I also joined a local publishers group and have been on that board over ten years, helping to arrange events and sometimes doing presentations. I have been the treasurer for a long time, after learning accounting in my middle age. Who would have thought shy me could do all this! I learned to be assertive and to lead others yet be considerate and thoughtful. I learned how to herd cats, so to speak.

I also learned to play the guitar in my middle age. Not great, but decent. You can do a lot with five or six chords and some strumming and picking techniques. I learned and practiced at our church with a group of beginners, led by a woman who played in the church band. Playing an acoustic guitar meant you really should sing. I was not a singer and had a limited range, however I was persuaded to sing and play a song all by myself at one of our short church services—that took some guts but I did it! Then I worked with another guitarist and together we sang duets during some services, even at one of the big services with the entire congregation. That was scary, but I did it! I even sang and played at a different church. After a

year or so I no longer had time to practice, but I am proud of my time being a singing cowgirl, or rather a singing church girl. (I sang the cowgirl songs at home.)

In my older age I began making greeting cards using stamps and pretty paper. I also started painting greeting cards, adding bits of poems or very short messages to the paintings—I had discovered the Japanese art of etegami, or painting picture cards, similar to postcards, using watercolors. I became a crafter and artist.

So in my own Middle Ages (and Later Ages), I became like a Renaissance woman. By being brave and trying new things, my life expanded in wonderful ways. I keep very busy and feel fulfilled. In the past several years I have been helping others—everyday people who have never written anything before—put together their life stories or that of their parents and publish their books for their families. I encourage everyone to try new things and to tell their stories.

Linda Austin is an author and editor of memoirs, including her mother’s Cherry Blossoms in Twilight story, and loves learning, discovering, and being creative. For more information on Linda and her work go to Moonbridge Books