Category: Life

Last week I went out for dinner and play with my friend L. I’ve known her since the first day of university. (She seemed fun and indeed she was and is. Perhaps one day I’ll write about the adventures of our school years.)

Last weekend I went to New York with my friend J. and we were trying to figure out how long we’ve known each other. About 20 years. And I knew her sister C. about a year before that. Our gang has known each other that long, too. And book club — I think — is now going on over 10 years.

In fact, I’ve know most of my friends for a long, long time. (And we can still stand each other it would seem.) Several of my colleagues and I have been saying good morning to each other for 13 years. We all still seem pretty happy about it, too. A new colleague said we were like a family — and yeah, I guess we are.

My dear friend P. has been an important part of my life since I was 22 years old and we still get together all the time. We never run out of things to talk about. We sometimes marvel at how time has flown but there are also plenty of fun times ahead.

I’ve made lots of new friends recently, too. (Recently in my case can be 10 years ago! But I also mean recently in the more commonly used fashion.)

Yeah, I guess I am feeling a bit nostalgic today but I’m also feeling pretty damn lucky.

Lucky for lots of reasons. And all of them to do with people. Not that I wouldn’t mind being wealthy in other ways, too. But I have enough. More than enough in all the ways that matter.

Thanks, people. All of you who are my friends. (No, my birthday is not coming up, there’s still time to shop :))

The Cindy Sherman retrospective at MOMA included several pieces from her larger-than-life society portrait series that address the experience and representation of aging in the context of contemporary obsessions with youth and status.

Not surprisingly, these pieces delighted, disturbed and affected me – even more than the grotesque sexual imagery. I enjoy being delighted by art — being disturbed and affected is an added super bonus.

The society portraits expose – highlight in high definition, in fact – wrinkles, unnaturally high painted-on eyebrows, lipstick well beyond its natural borders and many other signs of aging as well as the devices and tactics women use to hide it.

Take a look…

Oh fun, there’s nothing more I like than thinking about aging.

Yeah, I think about how to grow older gracefully pretty much every waking moment. How age is a number and it’s all about how I feel – just freaking fantastic, thank you very much…

Count your life by smiles, not tears.
Count your age by friends, not years

Actually, I feel much better about the march of time than I used to. Inevitability is something I am learning to deal with. Avoiding age-appropriate clothing also works wonders as does smoking, drinking and late nights.

Oh and remember that little puffy spot under my eye. My doctor’s new diagnosis?

Cause: Natural result of the aging process.
Only real solution: Blepharoplasty.

Not yet. Probably not ever – unless it gets bigger.