Introducing Michelle Combs, blogger at RubberShoesInHell.com, writer for Huffington Post, Scary Mommy, and others. Michelle’s hilarious and honest approach to the perils of midlife and menopause make her a welcome voice in a sometimes depressing conversation. She talked with us about how she keeps her sense of humor/a> in a time of absurdity.

1:17
What was the origin of “Rubber Shoes in Hell”? Michelle tells the story of needing an outlet for her writing and finding her path via an instant messaged conversation between cubicles.

2:34
How is talking openly about the absurdity of midlife a kind of release? Like many women, Michelle embraced midlife as a time to be more open and genuine about who she really is. She makes a convincing argument for why knowing we’re all going to die can be oddly freeing.

4:04
We hear it all the time from women: build your tribe. Michelle shares her thoughts on the importance of gathering around you people who “get” you and support you, no matter what.

5:45
Tribes don’t always gather in person; online communities can be every bit as powerful and important. Michelle has a robust online tribe at her blog, and she tells us about the experience of “hosting” that conversation on Rubber Shoes.

8:26
Menopause is a challenging time, and our culture’s “suck it up, buttercup” approach isn’t particularly helpful. We asked Michelle how she manages to honor what women are experiencing while keeping the humor intact.

9:38
Finding her voice: has she? What does it sound like? What does she have left to say, and please oh please, will she keep saying it?

11:00
What’s her favorite menopause story? Yeah, Michelle didn’t know she was in menopause until it was over. She tells her story of “battening the hatches” to prepare, as only she can tell it.

14:06
Why Michelle digs the aging process. Except eyebrow hairs. She really doesn’t like wiry eyebrow hairs.

15:06
Michelle gives advice to younger women – advice she admits she herself would have ignored as a 20- or 30-something. It’s pretty perfect.

18:09
Are women supporting each other the way we should? Michelle gives her thoughts on why she’s hopeful about the future.

19:02
What’s next for Michelle? For a woman who doesn’t have plans, she’s got a lot of… plans. Hear how she’s gotten where she is, where she’s going from here, and why you’ll have to pry her current attempts at fiction out of her cold, dead hands. Also, writing books is hard.

21:05
How to find more Michelle: read her blog at Rubber Shoes in Hell, see her do standup at the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop, check out her articles on Huffington Post.