Whose life?
“Whose life are you living, yours or the one somebody prefers for you?” ~Vanita Oelschlager, Write with Me
By the time we reach middle age, we’ve established our own patterns, preferences, routines, and habits. We’ve made some difficult choices; traveled a few paths; tried many different things. We like to believe we’ve designed our own way of living — even our own style. In reality, each of us is a unique combination of influences — parents, siblings, partners, relatives, teachers, peers, and popular culture, just for starters.
Who are your strongest influences? Which ones suggested, or even dictated, the life you’re living now? Are there any changes you’d make if you could follow your own heart? ~CL
Cindy La Ferle
Throughout my career, I've worked as a book production editor, travel magazine editor, features writer, and weekly newspaper columnist. My award-winning lifestyles features and essays have appeared in many national magazines and anthologies, including Newsweek, Reader's Digest, The Christian Science Monitor, Writer's Digest, Victoria, Better Homes & Gardens, Bella Grace, and more. My weekly Sunday "Life Lines" column ran for 14 years in The Daily Tribune (Royal Oak, MI) and won a First Place (Local Columns) award from the Michigan Press Association. My essay collection, Writing Home, includes 93 previously published columns and essays focusing on parenthood and family life.
