Someone once said that ageing is not for sissies. Of course we all know that as we head into the rejuvenating over 50 club a few things begin to go south and a few things could use a little tightening. Unfortunately ageing may not be for sissies, but sissies have to be for ageing. Personally I don’t buy into the idea that older age is a hindrance.  Amazing creations and individuals are seen at all ages.  We learn so much from those that have gone before us navigating the field of growing older.  Unfortunately the society that we inhabit has become youth obsessed often marginalizing our older adults to the land of obscurity.   We know we cannot be 20 forever and who would want to?  When I go back in time and recall the late nights hanging out with friends drinking beer or dancing until 3am, my bones start to ache at the thought.  I was always one to believe that I would never age and if I did, I would be cool and always want to hang with my homies.   The time has come when all of my homies are usually asleep by 10.

In our minds many of us don’t feel as if we are ageing.  We look in the mirror and pull back our skin that may have started to sag a bit fantasizing how much younger we would look with a little nip and tuck.  Many of  my friends admit to having faced the mirror with that same question.   For the most part and in  some strange and denying way, we feel we look the same and we often hear the same old lies from well meaning friends “you have not changed since high school.”  Yeah right.

One disturbing trend is the feeling of some women that once they reach a certain age they are more confident, take no bs and have no concerns  of what others think.  These women feel they now are able to dress for themselves and allow their authentic selves to be seen.  My question with that logic is what has been happening all along?  Maybe at a certain age, one stops looking for the attraction of the opposite sex, one begins to dress for comfort and one becomes comfortable within their own  skins.  Ageing, however does not give one the right to ignore personal grooming habits and don the burlap.  We can be authentic but we can also care for ourselves while doing it.

I once read of a village where everyone aspired to be the oldest.  The eldest was celebrated as being the keeper of wisdom with much status being  bestowed on those individuals.  No one wanted to be young.  Our society has become a sad excuse for revering our elders and treating them with the celebratory status they deserve.  We will all grow old if we are blessed and lucky.  The alternative is dying young.