40, to the Moment

I am 40 years old now, to the moment. As promised in my Forty by Forty Project's search for the Daughters of 1971, I am reporting back. My quest was to find and talk with 40 women anywhere in the world born sometime in 1971.

The last 7 months have been an adventure...in logistics...and networking..and frustration. All you gals who are or will be 40 this year are dang busy! Your schedule, my schedule, your/my kids, work...we cannot find the time to connect.

And you're hard to find, too. But you're out there, lurking. Fearful that perhaps you aren't interesting enough to join me (just a logical guess based on the way I feel). All life paths are amazing so don't hesitate to reach out to me at:  rachel[at]vampituity[dot]com.

Just a few days ago, I implemented the Facebook "Like" button and discovered 9 "likers" on my Forty by Forty post. Thank you! But, the web is a lonely and mysterious place, isn't it? I have faith that somehow, we can all find the strength to move beyond the Like button.


I did find about 15 women who wanted to talk with me, and I managed to interview 4 of them. But as I forged on, several realizations took hold:

• Turning 40 is my reason for seeking out community with other women living through that same transition in 2011.
• I am seeking collaborators. 39 of them, to be exact. I knew it all along but ignored it because it was a conversation with myself, ignored like meaningless small talk at a party.
• At heart, despite my typos and grammatical degradation from far too many years in technology marketing, I'm still a journalist. Journalism, thanks to the Web, is changing into a rich media world where words are no longer enough. Text is...boring. Images are required but audio, video or something else are now on par with this vast world wide sensory realm!
• With the help of a dear friend/life coach, Elyse, it became apparent that for Forty by Forty to be real, it had to get out of the digital realm. On the web, in the email of women I knew or didn't who'd expressed interest, Forty by Forty just wasn't tangible. It was ignorable.
• In searching for the women, I began inadvertently curating all the people, events, places, and culture that were also, turning 40. It's an incredible list- wow what a year!

I want to honor and thank Delia, Diana, Angela and Rebecca for their trust in and time spent with me, reflecting on 40. The conversations were amazing and...they are not lost, but I want a chance to extend collaborative roles to each of you. 

In honor of their 40th year and the great love I have for their music, I am adopting an Earth, Wind and Fire approach. Forty by Forty has gone tangible. It will likely return to the Web, but not without my 39 other collaborators. I know they are out there. Perhaps there are 3900 of them!

In August, I will initiate Earth:  A dance party celebration for the women (of all ages) who have gotten me to this point in my life with their friendship and love. And most importantly, we will dance to express our gratitude for life and each other. Because when you dance, 40 years become real.


In September, I will invoke Wind:  Any woman born in 1971 who is in the San Francisco Bay Area is welcome to come to my home to brainstorm. What is Forty by Forty? What could it be? Let's make it ours, let's have an evening together with each other away from family, obligation, work. Let's have an idea party and enjoy this bond of time we share.


After September, what's left will feed Fire:  What will be left to sustain and burn is anyone's guess. I hope we will all be listening more closely then, as I should have, to the winds of our souls.

Photo credit:  "Earth, Wind and Fire" Photo by Jeff Tidwell, licensed under Creative Commons.