What Sally O’Malley Taught Me About Turning 50
Just this past year a friend of mine introduced me to Sally O’Malley. An outrageously loud, self-confident, flexible woman in a Lycra red jumpsuit, 1970’s bouffant hairdo and small handbag announcing to the world she is Sally O’Malley and she likes to “kick, stretch and kick” because she’s 50!
This factious Saturday Night Live (SNL) character, perfectly played by comedian Molly Shannon, was my first real introduction into joining the 50's club and I loved everything about her and what I learned from her as I moved into this next decade of life.
On March 31, 2021 I turned 50. Now, I never saw myself as the mid-life crisis kind of person and I don’t know how much of it was COVID related, but I found myself in deep reflection of my life.
I had a great job, living in one of the most beautiful places in the world, Colorado. I was healthy, my family was healthy and happy and I had a wonderful circle of friends. So why did I feel like there was something missing?
There was more I wanted to do, I didn’t know what that was and honestly, I still don’t know, but I knew that working full time didn’t give me the room I needed to get curious about the many dimensions of who I was.
So, after a year of lockdown, and many years of talking and planning, my husband and I decided to quit our jobs, sell our belongings and travel around the world on a shoe-string budget. Yup! Pretty much sounds like a mid-life crisis.
Saying I was scared to make this transition, doesn’t even describe how hard it was to pull the trigger on this life altering decision. It took me 6 months of therapy and Sally O’Malley that finally helped me put Faith over Fear to take the leap and I am so glad I did.
As a newly minted 50 year old, Sally O’Malley became a mentor who helped me through the dark patches of this life transition. She had all the confidence and willingness to step into the Brene’ Brown “Arena of Vulnerability.” I celebrated her self-confidence and wanted to be that fearless 50- year old woman who knew who she was and didn’t care what others thought.
Five months into my 50th year, I want to share three points I took from Sally that I hope other people looking at their life will consider.
It doesn’t matter what others think. You already made it.
Life experience stands on its own and you know who you are. Say it proud, say it loud and say it often!
Approach every new challenge with the awareness that you can “kick, stretch and kick” your way through it.
Today, I am sitting in a beautiful house in the Scottish countryside, outside of Glasgow. It’s a gorgeous sunny day and I don’t know what my next step is going to be yet. But I do know one thing. I’m Gina and I’m 50 and I plan to kick, stretch and kick my way into the next journey of my life.
