Muffins with Mom – The College Tour and Menopause

I’m different. I like the college campus atmosphere – the structure of historic buildings, the landscape, the library, etc. On a recent college visit, I told my son, “I like this campus.”

His response was, “You like every campus. What didn’t you like about the campus?”

“It was windy.”

And so goes the story…

During the college visit, I experienced menopausal moments.

I entered the small auditorium and plopped down on a cushy aisle seat in the fourth row from the front. My son was moments behind me because he had to complete a survey in another room. As he sat down he said, “Why did you sit so far back? I usually sit in the first or second row.”

“This is close enough for me,” I replied.

A half hour into the presentation I began to shift in my seat. I turned sideways, crossed one leg, uncrossed it; twisted the other way, crossed my arms. I repeated the leg, arm volley a couple more times, then my eyelids felt like 20-pound barbells. I blinked twice to keep them open.

Eventually, my eyelids won the battle and closed. I rested my elbow on the armrest of the seat and placed my closed hand underneath my chin. At least I could pretend I was thinking.

This was a menopausal moment – that feeling of tiredness for no reason. I had plenty of sleep the night before. I think my son was glad we sat in the fourth row, I know I was glad. However, this episode did not free me from experiencing another round of menopausal mayhem.

Do you remember that I said I didn’t like the windy day? I had a good reason for that statement.

My hair is going through a change again. The morning of our college tour I gave my best effort at pulling my natural hair into a ponytail, but it was…not…long…enough. I refused to leave the house looking like the Heat Meiser from my favorite animated Christmas movie (The Year Without A Santa Claus).

I pulled out my favorite ponytail wig and gave my best attempt at stretching short strands of hair together, then attached the wig combs. The wig was fluffy enough to cover the short hair on the sides of my head, until…

We were led outside to walk to another building. A gust of wind as strong as the wind that scooped up Dorothy and Toto in the Wizard of Oz, slapped me in the face. I grabbed the front of my head and held on.

My son held onto the back of my head and said, “Ma, who’s going after your wig if it goes rolling like a tumbleweed?”

“Just yell FIRE and point in the opposite direction and one of us will go after the wig.”

Some days, I’m different like that. I’m learning to embrace this new chapter in my life. Is there a situation or thing that you’re learning to embrace? Try a little humor to get through it.