Is It Worth It? Let Me Work It

By Margit Detweiler

We each have a list of things we’ll risk, and a list of things we — hell no — will not.

Like, I’ll risk talking to a stranger on the subway, risk changing jobs or risk standing on stage to share my thoughts and feelings (Haayy TueNight Live!) But I would never risk skydiving — honestly, I feel like I’m taking a risk every time I get into ANY moving vehicle. Bodily risks are not my thing.  I am not too keen on risking strange meats. I might risk taking a hit of that joint, even though the voice of my mother yelling, “IT COULD BE LACED WITH SOMETHING!” still plays on a backchannel in my brain. 

At midlife, we hold many more calculations in our head — and experiences to pull from — that help us decide if the risk is worth it. We can better gauge where the line is, the situations where we’ll tempt fate, and where we’ll hold our cards. I feel a little less risky as I’ve grown older; I’ve found myself looking for safety in uncertain times. Other friends feel that 52 years old is the moment to make that leap — the “If not now, when?” has become just a little bit more insistent.

At our event tonight and this month on TueNight.com we’ll be sharing stories of all sorts of risks that grown-ass women are making — from coming out, to road testing racy lingerie to ditching a life-long career for something quieter. We’ll start with stories from Carmen Rita Wong and Bridgett M. Davis tonight, and stay tuned for new stories in the forthcoming weeks. A little preview:

• Carmen Rita Wong — on something she’s never said in public – until now
• Bridgett Davis — risks breaking a big-deal promise
• Taiia Smart Young — steps out in her own year of yes
• Stacy Morrison — flips a career risk
• Robin Gelfenbien — changes it up for a dream date gone awry

Here’s to living life on the edge,

Margit

Originally Published January 28, 2020. Updated April 26, 2021.