Once we’ve passed the hurdle of Changeophobia, we head down the tract to the next one. Before we even have time to congratulate ourselves on our flexibilty, up looms New Learning.

I had always thought of myself as a curious, interested, open kind of person. I liked learning – just about anything. Of course, that was when I had unlimited time left on this planet and seemingly unlimited energy to sample all its wares. The Big M brought those misconceptions to a screeching halt.

Like all the Venuses, I’m growing into the woman I want to be. And , alas, growing means having to learn new things. Because of finite time left, and less energy than in my youth, these new things must now pass the pros and cons of worthiness. Are they useful? HOW useful? Do they take up too much time for too little return? Are they fun? (Yep, fun has to figure in there somewhere. Living my second childhood demands a fun factor.) Do they offer anything of value to me? To others? Are they a distraction that gets me off track, off the Prime Directive of my life so to speak?

My Prime Directive is to boldly go where no menopausal goddess has gone before, in the company of other menopausal goddesses, sharing humor, heart, and help. Creating community and support for a transition that no one should travel alone.

With equal amounts terror and titillation, I ventured into the social networking world. (Thanks, Jonathan!) I was uncertain whether this would be helpful and useful to me and my sister goddesses or whether I’d be overwhelmed and lost. The first day was purely frightening as my inbox filled to bursting. "What have I done?" I thought bleakly. And then dear Sharon Venus inadvertantly came to my rescue with a short note declaring, "Seriously afraid of Facebook. Help." I laughed out loud at my own thoughts being voiced so perfectly. And then I knew how we’d get through it.

Together. That’s how we’ve handled the menopause transition. After the Big M, we ought to be able to handle a little hurdle like social networking. Sharon Venus and I talked on the phone, shared our fears and hopes, and made a plan to move ahead. (We also have become virtual office mates, since working at home means there’s no one in the next cubicle to help or push when needed. We’ve created virtual cubicles.)

This is how I’ve come to be all a Twitter, synced in on Linked in, and face forward on Facebook. I’ve seen the use in the social networking craze and how it can support the Prime Directive. I can now "tweet" a good link or quick tip for menopause goddesses from my freaking cell phone. I can join or create groups where menopause info can be shared, and hopefully share resources with more women. Sure the learning curve is steep at times, but I’m not afraid to "tweet" for help. Through cross-platform cross pollination, there’ll be more women sharing wisdom about Menopause.

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