Let me begin by saying that, even though I'm sixty three, I don't really think about age that much. Age is just a number, and math is my least favorite subject.
There are so many blogs in the blogosphere these days aimed at twenty-somethings. They're intelligent, witty, inspiring, insightful, optimistic, and sometimes even profound. Some of them are loaded with fun beauty and fashion tips, and clever decorating and entertaining ideas. I enjoy reading them because, well, they're enjoyable.
But when I search for blogs that target women my age, what I find is a lot of "how to look younger; how to cope with menopause; how to use makeup and clothing to disguise imperfections; whether to dye or not to dye; whether to have cosmetic surgery or just accept the consequences of years of drinking too much, eating too much, and partying for decades, etc." They're all about navigating the aging process; basically, they are about damage control. And that's depressing; so I just go back to reading the fun ones written by the younger girls.
A few years ago, I was writing a blog called Silver Foxes. It was designed for my peers. It had potential; but soon, I found myself falling into that same "how to age gracefully" groove. And the thing is, I don't want to write about how to look younger with strategically applied makeup, or how to dress to hide flaws. I don't want to write about effective eye creams. I don't want to write about why I don't want to dye my hair. I don't want to write about how to feel sexy when you're standing next to a twenty year old blond with perky boobs. I don't want to write about how disheartening it is to be invisible to men when they open a door for the young girl in front of you, and then let the door slam in your face. And, I don't want to write about the inevitable health issues, physical and emotional, that accompany aging. Yes, they exist; and if we live long enough, we all have to deal with them eventually; I just don't want to write about it.
With Silver Foxes, I began to feel like a cheerleader. You know, "RAH RAH! Come on girls, we can do it! We can look fabulous! We can feel great! We're not cute and hot anymore, but we are wiser now, because we have life experience under our belts! And, the trade-offs are so worth it! This is so much better than the insecurity and inexperience of youth!" Bullshit. Anyone who says they would rather not go back and do it all over again, is just full of it.
The thing is, I don't want to spend my time and money and energy trying to look like I did "back in the day." In the first place; it's a losing battle. Desperately clinging to the smooth, unwrinkled skin and tight butt of yore does not make one feel any younger, or more confident.
No, the antithesis to feeling like an old fart is to have an awesome life. Helen Keller said, "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all." And I wholeheartedly agree; No amount of makeup, hair dye, botox or Spanx can make you feel as alive as an adventurous spirit. You don't have to race cars or jump out of airplanes; but a pole dancing class, a hot romance (even if it's with your husband) or a road trip with a couple of your BFF's; YES!
Don't get me wrong; I do care about how I look; to a point. I try to eat healthy, about two-thirds of the time; the other third, anything goes, because I love food! (check out my food blog - here) I practice yoga regularly. I get yearly checkups. I use a moisturizer with UVB protection. And I love makeup and fashion! But I try to spend as little time as possible obsessing over gray hair, flabby triceps, and "Howdy Doody" lines. There is so much more to life...
Most of my energy goes into what's between my ears. I like to learn new things, and my interests vary wildly. Complacency is the enemy. Clearly, I will never know everything I want to know, or do everything I want to do in this lifetime. Yeah, it would've been great if I'd known "what I want to be when I grow up"...forty years ago. But does anybody, really? And why waste time whining about it now? Anyway, it's not over yet...
People often comment about my quirky spin on life. Metaphorically speaking, I try to jump off of a cliff everyday. No guts, no glory. Because, like Helen Keller, I believe that life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.
C
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