I have a thing for older women
You might too after reading this
Hello friends,
The last time you heard from me, I was doing my best to put the “situation” in the United States into words. Little did I know a few days later, things would get even more exciting.
ICYMI: The assassination attempt on you-know-who and that time a white man created space for a Black woman to potentially become the most powerful person in the world and why how she’s treated matters to all women.
While I was attempting to make sense of everything happening stateside, I was spending equal amounts of time trying to decipher the political unrest in Kenya. The anti-government protests demanding accountability began in June and have left more than 50 dead. Facilitated by the leaderless “Gen Z,” they are long overdue and welcomed by most Kenyans. For far too long, politicians have been pocketing money that should have been spent on primary education, healthcare, infrastructure, and more for the millions of people who live in abject poverty.
I first wrote about the protests and Africa having a moment here, thinking that they had subsided after the president scrapped the finance bill. I was wrong, so I wrote about it some more here.
To navigate it all, I’ve been spending what should be an illegal amount of time on Twitter. It’s the best place to find out exactly the when and where of protests if major roads/trains/airports are blocked, and if the police are firing bullets into crowds. It’s a juxtaposition of feelings to both want the protestors to be successful in their efforts and also want things to get back to normal so life can carry on. The economic consequences have been significant, and I was facing the cancellation of my cycling trip through Kenya. But it all simmered down just enough for me to feel comfortable with guiding people through rural Kenya from Nairobi to Diani.
This year there were only three women who joined me. I started with a much larger crew, but five people dropped out for various personal reasons, all within one week back in March. There might have been yelling to myself, a pre-5 pm cocktail, perhaps a cigarette, and a compassionate request of my dear friend James to please still provide a guide and support vehicle. That was far too late for me to be able to book new clients for a trip like this, but people had already booked flights and made plans.
So he said yes and so did I and the three friends had a trip of a lifetime.
What made this trip special to me wasn’t that they were friends—it’s that they were over 60.
Intergenerational friendships between women are so valuable, particularly because there’s so much that isn’t spoken about when it comes to aging. Like menopause and aging bodies and how the world will perceive you when you are over 40.
There was one other thing about cycling with older-than-me women I wasn’t expecting, but it made the trip so much sweeter: cycling slowly.
I have been known to move through life quickly. So when I am surrounded by other people who also think going fast is fun, I’m trying to keep up.
What I came to understand because of this pole (but not pole pole) cycling was that not only did I feel better—less tired and a less broken body—I also saw more of this stunning country.
I don’t have photos of all of it, as that’s part of the magic. Sometimes you just ride and take those mental snapshots you hope last your lifetime.
Elephants in the bush—which did require a complete stop to ensure they weren’t coming toward us.
Kudu running through the trees—my favorite African antelope with their beautiful stripes.
Children riding wooden bikes—making us feel quite foolish for complaining about the hills we struggled to climb on our fancy bikes.
Every smile—particularly the ones from the boys on the back of a piki, genuinely happy to see women living their best lives.
I had many, many hours to think about this new way of approaching cycling—a leisure activity meeting adventure—and couldn’t help but consider how a faster pace may be antithetical to my core beliefs. I haven’t fully landed on this yet, as going fast is fun and fun is something I want more of in my life. But there is something to be said about the need for speed being part of the trap of what bell hooks has called the ideology of domination—the addiction to more, and quickly, and the willingness to do anything to attain it.
More on that another time…
Jen
PS:
Want to know more about my cycling trips in Kenya that benefit Zawadisha?
Join me for a recap of my 2024 cycling trip across Kenya and get the details on not one, but two 2025 trips!
When: August 28th, 5 pm PST
How: Register here
PSS:
Friends, I created two fall offerings for you!
What we say and how we say it matters, so why not do it with confidence and clarity? Join me for Straight Talkin’, a simple, fun, and productive month-long offering designed for other purpose-driven entrepreneurs, creatives, freelancers, and dreamers. The goal of our time together is that you leave with clarity, motivation, and excitement about your 2024 goals, all with a new community of people to support you in your journey.
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Click on the links above, DM, or email me for details :)
PSSS:
If you clicked on any of the links I shared at the beginning of this week’s post, you’ll notice quite a few are from Lady Parts, the weekly newsletter I write as the CEO of Coalition.
What makes that different from Redefining Radical?
This is where I’ll take more creative risks, so it might get a little weird but not in a threat to democracy kinda way. This newsletter also will be more about me as a person. It feels odd writing this, as if my ego outweighs the reality of my impact in this world. But I’ve done some things and I’m hoping that by sharing more personal stories I can inspire, encourage, and provide support and community for people who are also trying to do hard things.
Because I put so much into both newsletters, I’ll share links with you when I think it’s something you’d enjoy. If you don’t want to miss out on any of the fun, make sure to subscribe to Lady Parts too.