All Episodes

March 17, 2020 53 mins

Today I’ve changed up my content calendar to bring you an episode that speaks more to where we all find ourselves today – dealing with the uncertainty of a global pandemic. I had this conversation last week with Kathleen McKitty Harris and feel this is an especially timely episode because she challenges us to see the wonder all around us, every day. That means even now while our autopilot has effectively been ground to a halt.

 

I want to give you content that you want, so I’m asking you help me do that by answering a survey that won’t take more than 5 minutes of your time. You can even pause right now to do it - you’ll find the direct link here: https://www.fortiesstories.com/anniversary

 

Kathleen McKitty Harris and I talk about how she gained confidence in her 40s to really embrace her calling, the quest for identity, and how she’s feeling about the coming empty nest. We also talk about how we can weather life with confidence because of our experience and how we, as GenXers, have an opportunity to be a bridge to other generations.

 

I personally love how Kathleen captures both the beauty and absurdity of life, with a dash of humor, on her Instagram posts. In the episode she talks about how all we have are our stories -- and that every day we start a new one when we rise. We have more opportunity than ever to witness the ordinary now as we social distance, which I think gives us back a sense of control.

 

Kathleen McKitty Harris is a fifth-generation native New Yorker whose work has been published in Longreads, Creative Nonfiction, Sonora Review, McSweeney's, and The Rumpus, among others. Her essay, “A Timeline of Human Female Development,” appears in My Body, My Words, an anthology centered on body image and positivity, and named by BUSTLE Magazine as one of “11 New Feminist Books That Could Totally Change Your Year.”

 

Kathleen also performs as a storyteller at such venues as The Moth in New York City, and co-hosts the “What’s Your Story?” reading series in her backyard in northern New Jersey, where she lives with her husband, two children, and an irredeemable dog. 

 

Be sure to connect with me on social media to stay abreast of everything. I love hearing from you, so send me an email or leave a comment on any the episode on the website, which you can find at www.fortiesstories.com. I’ll also tell you how to connect with Kathleen in the show notes - I hope you’ll give her a follow her on Instagram.

 

Thanks for listening!

 

 

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.

24/7 News: The Latest

24/7 News: The Latest

The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.

Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.