Conversations with My Younger Self

By Arlene Bice, Lisa Baron and Dee Stribling

Out of a conversation of three women of a certain age, came the great idea to offer thoughts to other women who may benefit from our life experiences. To add to our knowledge, we interviewed 11 women from a diverse ethnic, economic, culture and location of the country. From their answers came the same basic beliefs we have addressed and prepared for you, the reader.

Out of those conversations and ours came this book full of life experience essays to help those who may have questions about how to react to certain life events of their own. We offer an opportunity for women of all ages and paths to read about our experiences and reflect upon what we share.

• Language: English
• Publisher: PurpleStone Press
• Release date: Oct 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223200468

Book preview

Arlene S. Bice, Ed.

Dr. Lisa Baron

Dr. Dee Stribling

Conversations With My Younger Self  Copyright © 2023 by Arlene S. Bice, Lisa Baron, Dee Stribling, 

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the copyright owners, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

For more information about authors Dr. Lisa Baron, Dr. Dee Stribling and Arlene S. Bice, visit their websites: https://www.lisabaronlcsw.com/

https://www.deestribling.com/

http://arlenebice.com/

PURPLESTONE PRESS

INTRODUCTION

Acouple years ago the three of us were enjoying a conversation about how our lives have progressed over the years. (We each have many more years behind us than in front of us...) We shared the challenges we faced and overcame. We spoke of the experiences we learned from and let go. We discussed advice we found beneficial, if there had been older women to encourage us, or at least give us fair warning from their personal episodes in life.

Out of that conversation the idea developed to share our pitfalls, accomplishments, and experiences with you. We offer an opportunity for women of all ages and paths to read about our experiences and reflect upon what we share. We hope you enjoy our book and that reading it will help you start your own conversations with yourself.

Lisa conducted interviews with eleven women aged from 67 to 90, from diverse financial backgrounds, ethnicity, races, and cultures. They were raised in different locations of the country, some from rural areas, others in the city. The majority attended college.

Our gratitude goes out to this group of women who care enough about others to freely share their knowledge.

The women gladly offered their thoughts, opinions, and advice they would pass on to others. From their answers came the same basic beliefs we have addressed and prepared for you, the reader.

Enjoy!

Arlene S. Bice

CONTENTS

INNER VOICE

Take a Sharp Turn - Lisa

Meet Someone - Dee

Listen Up!  - Arlene

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

Castle it Up – Lisa

Write it Down - Dee

Leader of the Pack - Arlene

I Love Going to Work! - Arlene

FOLLOW YOUR PASSION

Patience - Lisa

Compound Interest - Dee

Put Up or Hush Up! - Arlene

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

Ice – Lisa

Connecting with Self - Dee 

Beware - Arlene

BUILD SELF-CONFIDENCE

Simmer and Sizzle - Lisa 

Just Write – Lisa

Does Worry Help? - Dee

Best Invest First - Arlene

Is My Hair a Mess? - Arlene

CREATIVE IN THE WORLD 

Creative Spirits - Lisa

Writerly Self  - Lisa

Embrace Imperfection – Dee

Keep the Fire Burning!  Arlene

WHAT LIFE IS ABOUT

Cat – Lisa

Stuff - Lisa

Walk the Pain – Dee

Choices – Arlene

GRATITUDE

Homeless Man – Lisa

Plane Wisdom – Lisa

Advice from the Kid - Dee

Wee Bits of Gratitude - Arlene

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABOUT LISA

ABOUT DEE

ABOUT ARLENE

INNER VOICE

Teach girls and women to listen to their inner voice; protect their boundaries and stop others from progressing when feeling uncomfortable; tell the other person invading their space to back up; it is not okay for them to continue.

Take a Sharp Turn - Lisa

My mother will be 90 in 3 weeks. I wonder if she sees the vastness of her wisdom that the twenty-two of us do.

This story started when she asked me to look for a red waffle knit sweater with a zipper and pockets. Everything has to have pockets, she says. (I'm impressed that she holds onto her pocket, theme-I'm often annoyed that I forget to take the tissues out of my pockets that I discover later in crevices of the washing machine.) So, I searched and googled more to find this gift for her. She wants for so little, having discovered peace in simplicity.

As I scrolled through pages of store sales and listings, the red sweater options with zippers and pockets were not popping up in my search. I found purples, greens, and browns, but only red would do. Many sweaters needed pockets or zippers or both. I found one used sweater online that fit my mother's description and another for $750.00. People buy used cars for $750- Egads!

Hours went by as I drove down the rabbit hole of the Great search for the perfect sweater.

Upon reporting this data, she said, You better make a sharp turn into the next thing.

As I often do, I told her that this line she just emoted is the title of my following essay.

Often, we get stuck in our spirals, like looking for the perfect red sweater or rolling the same thought through our brains as if it will come out differently the next time. Hamsters in a wheel go round and round without any direction. That furry creature seems to embrace that activity in and of itself, whereas that ruminating behavior doesn't work for humans. Yet, we stick with it thinking this time, when we go around the wheel, the door will magically open for us to make our great escape, finding the golden path to paradise.

My mother, knowing my tendency to dig deep for answers, whether it's the red sweater with pockets