I’m growing tired of this charade I’ve been keeping up. It’s causing me anxiety.
Okay, I’m not in my twenties anymore and I’m prepared to embrace this. (I think I had an epiphany on the bicycle or perhaps it was a reaction to the gel.)
I recently celebrated a birthday (!) and I’ve decided that I’m going to turn over a new leaf. Age is just a number…and in my case it is not even a big one. In BINGO years I am still an “N”.
B-I-N-G-O
B-I-N-G-O
B-I-N-G-O
… and BINGO was his name-o.
What charade? North American society tells you how you should feel based on a number and then turns around and says; “You’re only as old as you think you areâ€. Didn’t you just tell me how old I am!? Personally, I think inner happiness is the key (how very egocentric of me), however you choose to define it and every time I see you, you have a big beautiful smile on your face!
Happy belated birthday 🙂
Thanks Stephanie!
I am a happy person because I want to be — and so I try to be…
Not to dwell but I ‘ve had a lot of sadness my life and I just decided that I want to be a happy person. It beats the alternative. But I guess the age thing is my one weakness. I wish it were not so. I’m not really sure how to embrace it yet. I think the first step is to admit that 37 is not a big deal…and that I am very lucky to be 37 and healthy and happy.
I don’t believe that the age thing is one of your ‘weaknesses’ because that puts all of the responsibility on your shoulders. That’s an awful lot to carry around. Let’s lighten that load by taking a look at the mass media that we are bombarded with daily, shall we? What kinds of messages are continually sent to us about age, especially as women age? Wait, we can’t do that! Did you know there are actually anti-aging stores!? How clever of them, this way it truly is our responsibility not to age and thus how could we possible have any issues with age. Hmm… I fear I have stepped up on my soapbox. I will step down now.
I don’t mind your thoughts from the soapbox — I enjoy them. Plus, I agree with you.
On her birthday in 1974, in response to a reporter who mentioned how good she looked “for her age,” Gloria Steinem famously replied, “This is what 40 looks like nowadays.†We’ve been lying so long, who would know?