I’m closing in on 40 and I’ve had this mid-life crisis spell happen during the later part of COVID, 2020-2021. I love to write short stories and poetry, but with my “crisis” it became a burden to even think about putting thoughts down. Then this person comes into my life, we will call her Martha. I’m twice her age, her superior at work, and generally not someone I would talk to. But besides all that, we strike up a friendship. It’s weird at first, the age gap, the maturity level, and me the authority figure. But we connect somehow, and my writing returned. At first it is mostly about her, and these torrent of emotions that she drew out of me. Her personality, energetic, kind, and thoughtful helped invigorate my own life. Like a nurse pulling poison from a wound, I felt liberated after all this time. All because of her.

We eventually went our separate ways. We seldom talk anymore, but that friendship we made still helps me write. I think of her, and my inner voice sings to express itself. She is my muse but I’ll never tell her or say anything about it (maybe if we ever reconnect in the future). Martha has changed me and is my inspiration.