Lori Sidebottom

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT BEING YOUR AGE?
I don’t have to care about what people think about me.

WHAT HARDSHIPS HAVE YOU ENDURED THAT YOU FEEL HAVE MADE YOU STRONGER?
My son’s dad was very abusive, I am a domestic violence survivor and a rape survivor. I had a child as the product of rape and put him up for adoption. I’ve had some pretty trauma-related things and I got through them. I picked myself up, dusted myself off, and made something of myself. I survived a lot of traumas.

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT?
Obtaining my nursing license at 55 years old. I went back to school at an older age and was able to get a degree in college and do what I wanted to do for a long time. I didn’t think I had the ability to do it when I was younger, and I proved myself wrong.

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST EXTRAVAGANCE?
I like to go on cruises to Saint Thomas in the Caribbean.

WHAT IS YOUR MOST TREASURED POSSESSION?
My kids and my husband, if I didn’t have them, I wouldn’t be me.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING YOU HAVE CHECKED OFF YOUR BUCKET LIST?
Cruising together with my husband, going to Saint Thomas, taking a little puddle jumper boat over to Saint John and touring St John and after that Tortula. And then we were in Nassau in the Bahamas.

WHAT IS YOUR IDEA OF PERFECT HAPPINESS?
Contentment, just being true to who you are and who you will spend your life with.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR YOUNGER SELF?
Stay the course, it gets better.

DO YOU HAVE ANY WORDS OF WISDOM FOR YOUNGER WOMEN?
Don’t let bad situations destroy who you are inside, you’re stronger than you think you are.

WHAT IS A TRAIT YOU ARE MOST PROUD OF?
I don’t know a stranger, I get along with everyone. I tend to make friends easily.

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO OR FAVORITE QUOTE?
Never say never. I never thought I would drive on a highway, and I can do it so never say never.

WHAT DO YOU MOST VALUE IN YOUR FRIENDS?
Honesty and sincerity. Don’t keep things from me, if you’ve got something to say, say it. I’m not going to be mean or offended but I may not like it. I prefer honesty over trying to save my feelings.

HOW DID YOU CHANGE OVER THE YEARS?
By dealing with the things I had to deal with and not letting what happened get the better of me I became a stronger person. I could have let what happened destroy me, but, I chose to live instead of die. I think that I’ve come a long way and I’ve blossomed as a person. I’ve overcome a lot of things in my life, and I like who I am now.

IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT YOURSELF, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
If I wouldn’t have been so scared about driving years ago, I think I could have enjoyed life more instead of being scared to venture out and do things.

When I was 16, I got in the car with a friend who had been drinking and we got onto an icy Interstate. She lost control of the car and did a 360 into oncoming traffic. I have just been terrified of being on highways since then. I would never drive on a highway. At one point I took the Interstate going home and I literally had to stop, I had to pull off to the side of the road, get out of the car, and throw up. But I made it home and I worked through that and have driven to Texas, Oklahoma, Iowa City, Chicago, and in Chicago traffic. I have come a long way but I wish I could have done that years ago, I could have done more traveling.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE FOR THE FUTURE GENERATIONS?
I could be the little Miss Congeniality and say World Peace, but I want people to be more respectful of each other.

WHAT BRINGS YOU THE MOST JOY AT THIS AGE?
Watching my grandkids and spending time with them.

WHAT IS YOUR SUPERPOWER?
I work hard and I think it’s pretty darn easy to just get along with people. I can do it all and I’m still a happy person. I may be exhausted but still get through what I need to get through and do what I need to do. Maybe I do too much, I take care of my husband, work full-time, I’m doing a play part-time. Others might ask me when do you sleep, and tell me to take a day for myself. I’ll rest when I’m dead. I’m just tackling a lot in life and probably take on more than I should. But I feel like I’ve missed so much in my life by being too scared to do things that this whole new me has evolved and I just want to do everything. It’s probably my superpower and kryptonite at the same time.

DO YOU LIKE BEING 40+?
I do, I’m at an age where I’m comfortable with who I am. I’m not trying to compete with other people, and I have a very comfortable life. I have a job, I’m married, and I don’t really care what other people think. I am who I am, like me or don’t like me, I it doesn’t bother me.

WHEN IN YOUR LIFE, SO FAR, HAVE YOU FELT MOST CONFIDENT, AND WHY?
I think now, I am comfortable being me. I’m not vying for anybody’s attention, I’m not competing with anybody, I am just who I am.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD?
Don’t try and please other people, you have one life, live it for yourself. I’m not saying you can’t do something for other people, but don’t live your life for them.