"Winging It" As Personal Philosophy

I was recently asked by a group of college students what career steps I followed. The question stumped me, because frankly, I have no idea.

It occurred to me that I haven’t planned much, like my garden, which has peppers growing next to hydrangeas and lots of wildflowers my husband insists are weeds. Or the time I ran out of money in Europe a week before my flight home. Or, come to think of it, my children.

While flying by the seat of my pants (or, *ahem*, skirt) has led to occasional distress (Hi, Mom? Can you wire me two hundred Deutch marks?), winging it has been the course of action that consistently brings me adventure and good fortune. Which was not at all helpful to the journalism students wondering how to get a job after graduation. They – and you – will surely learn more from the worldly women profiled this month, each with her own plan and path.

And I’m not saying it’s a great idea for every girl to shave her head, move into her VW bus and support herself by playing the trumpet (badly) on street corners and reading tarot cards. But heck, sometimes it works out just fine.