This summer I finished working at what had been the "job of my dreams" - I was in charge of a creative camp. It was what I trained for as an art teacher, it used all my skills, but ultimately it also sucked all my energy. I was insane enough to give up a chance at full time employment to eke out a living doing this job I loved. Eventually, the stress got to me.

So, at 53, I had my first full time job-with-benefits working for someone else since 1976. I'm not doing anything I went to college or grad school for - I work in a church rectory office that could be the basis of a sitcom (only then they'd have to kill me). BUT I love going to work - not necessarily what I DO, but the atmosphere is great. I work with one of my best friends who shares a similar sense of humor, and the music we play all day is trad folk. I introduce him to singers and he introduces me to dance music of different places. We plot English Country Dances. We laugh alot at the quirks of people we deal with. We laugh at ourselves. I'm making more music than ever now that I'm not agonizing over money and responsibities. When I walk out the door of work, I'm free to live my life. Before, "work" was everywhere around me. Wish I'd done this (and lots of other stuff) 20 years ago.

Joanne in Cleveland