Is that because you had passed menopause or because you retired?
I don’t think any of these biological certitudes of women affect their long term thinking. At worst, they eat more chocolate and throw a fit when the coffee maker malfunctions.
Yes, I did pass menopause, though mine was an early surgically forced one!
Without the constrains of child-bearing, rearing, etc., I’m able to involve myself in some of my avocations.
I was always pro-life but began to reason out my convictions beyond my faith; I was always for the right to self defense, but because of my faith and love of the constitution (combined with growing up watching the “good guys vs the bad guys” in the movies and on TV) and realization that as a small woman, with no “good guy” beside me to help and never fearing guns (while playing cowboys, etc with my younger brother) I’d best learn to find the best one for my protection!