Society signals to women, by means of eliminating many from the workforce, that the purpose of their sixties is to transition from productivity to, well, something that looks a lot like less productivity. With childcare, career, and caretaking largely in the rearview mirror, women are encouraged to move away from viability and toward the idea of being on the fringe. The message is that we should pack up and stow away our knowledge, skills, and expertise, now no longer considered useful, and amuse ourselves with simpler, less complex occupations—things older women do in retirement. In short, we are being asked to step aside, and sometimes the invitation does not feel like a request. We are the only people who question what to do with our excess brain power and our acquired skills during this transition. No one else cares.

One of the many themes that women write about in relation to this decade are the practical shifts that take place. Freed from the daily chores of caring, whether that is raising children or looking after older family members, for many women their sixties may be the first time they do not have someone who relies upon them. As liberating as this might sound, it is also frightening. We may have defined ourselves as a caretaker of many people and things in life, and when those responsibilities disappear, who are we now?

Other women have discussed something that reads almost like rejuvenation as they set out to explore new ventures. With their accumulated knowledge, they embark on projects that in previous decades were unimaginable, shocked to find a completely new way to live their lives. One of the many benefits—and there are many—of being in your sixties is that you care less about what other people think. The clock is ticking, and women have rationalized that if society doesn’t want our experiences and our skills, we’re free to reapply these attributes as, when, and where we choose.