Watching myself age hasn’t been easy, partly because I’ve been ill for the past 15 years. But I’m starting to see that some of the premature ageing has reversed. In fact, I look younger than I did five or six years ago. No one ever guesses my age correctly, but then, no one ever could in the past, either. My insecurity about my looks (which I’ve always struggled with) is diminishing though, mostly due to the fact that I’m just not as hung up on outer things as I used to be, so I'm not sure this is an insecurity issue. I don't indulge in that sort of thing too much anymore. I hasten to add that getting older isn't a problem for me. In fact, I'm rather enjoying it since I said "screw it" to growing up.
Until recently, I didn't think I had aged any. I looked and felt the same as I did in high school. Weird though.... everyone else around me seemed to be aging... why wasn't I?
ReplyDeleteDelusional! It's hard to see when it's happening to a face and body that you've seen every day of your life. But the beauty of it is exactly what you said. As we grow older, we're less "touched" by what people think or what we think people are thinking.
Loving life!!!
This is actually very interesting to me, because I am so scared of aging. Not getting older in general, but more scared of the time when I hit like 50. I always wonder what I will be like. Will I be lonely? Will I have found someone I love to live with? Will I still love them? Or will I be bitter?
ReplyDeleteAlso because I watched my parents age in front of me (I am the youngest child and was born late in their lives), and it wasn't exactly very pleasant. But as they got more and more older, they got ok-ish. So I guess most people go about aging kicking and screaming, initially, but then I think people settle down.
No one ever guesses my correct age. When I was much younger (20's), folks always thought I was younger. Then I grew facial hair and started going gray around 25. After that I've always been pegged as being older. Sometimes much older. A cab driver the other day asked me if I went to the World's Fair in Queens. I was confused for a moment and then asked "You mean the one in 1964?" Yeah, that's the one he was talking about. When I told him I wasn't even born yet he got real quiet. He apparently thought I was about 20 years older than I actually am. Maybe long gray hair and a Santa beard isn't the best look for me after all. :)
ReplyDeleteThe older I get, the better I like me. The things that you mention, Flippydoodle, or most of them are personal choices we make. We don't have to be bitter, we don't have to be unhappy. Life is about choices, choices, choices. Choices about what we do and choices about who we are. Getting older is fun when you strive to invent and reinvent yourself. WE are our masterpiece, not some book, or painting, of symphony.
ReplyDeleteI was getting carded until I was about 33. It's only been since the Hashimoto's hit me that I've seen some significant aging. But, even then, no one ever guess that I'm about to turn 60. I figure I have about 7 good years left until it all falls apart and I start looking my age. LOL. I've always asked, "How long can I milk this thing?"
ReplyDeleteThe older I get, the better I like me. The things that you mention, Flippydoodle, or most of them are personal choices we make. We don't have to be bitter, we don't have to be unhappy. Life is about choices, choices, choices. Choices about what we do and choices about who we are. Getting older is fun when you strive to invent and reinvent yourself. WE are our masterpiece, not some book, or painting, of symphony.
ReplyDeleteLoving life IS the secret! Continuing to learn, to exercise our brains, to stay curious about life. Good genes don't hurt, either. Neither of my parents looked their ages, either.
ReplyDeleteyour a better person than me... getting old scares the crap outta me.
ReplyDeleteOh, such a wonderful answer! Thanks a lot for this :)
ReplyDelete