In the 1958 musical Gigi Maurice Chevalier sang the benefits of old age with I’m Glad I’m Not Young Anymore. The dapper Frenchman was in his 60s. If 40 is the new 30, that would make make 60 the new 50, meaning Monsieur Chevalier was the equivalent of my age now, and that sounds just about right. It was in my 50s that I began to be glad I wasn’t young anymore.
Oh there are times I wish I could still wear tight jeans and not look like an ice cream cone with everything spilling out over the top. But there is also an element of liberation in knowing no amount of dieting or exercise will melt those love handles, so skipping my workout when I just don’t feel like it or indulging in that bag of chips on a stressful day now feels more like a simple pleasure than a guilty one.
Just a few years ago I’d blink my dry red eyes long into the night rather than exchange contact lenses for glasses before the party ended. Now that my aging eyes are circled in dark crepe, a pair of stylish bifocals with transition lenses are more attractive and comfortable at any time of day or night.
But there’s more to it than just the physical. A whole new world awaits me. No longer constrained by career or childcare, I can pursue interests just for fun. I can volunteer my time for things that really matter rather than selling my time to a company with questionable goals. I can travel at any time of year, not just in summer when school is out. I’ve taken acting classes, riding lessons, writing courses.
I still can’t dance or sing like Chevalier, but "I’m Glad I’m Not Young Anymore."
Saturday, March 1, 2008
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3 comments:
There are times I have so much energy and I'm bouncing off the walls, then I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and think, "now there you go....huhn..." but, so far, I don't have the "I hate getting old" feeling and I'm glad. I saw Cher on a television interview and she was whining and grousing about aging - her face pulled tight and pale and all I could think was, stop whining! stop the plastic surgery -- grow up! *laughing*
Yes, yes, good post. I definitely feel my age on some days, like today when my back is on the fritz for some unknown reason like lifting something a couple of days ago that I don't even remember was a problem, but obviously was. But there's way too much fun to be had, and lots of ibuprofen in the medicine cabinet. I'm really glad a lot of things are behind me and more glad that I can enjoy myself. Oh, and I still wear the contac lenses since I had that dry eye thing at an early age and they found very permeable ones that are amazing. But I wear the trifocals too, and one of these days I'm going to try those transition lenses!
Yes indeed. Age has its privileges for sure! Good post.
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