O.M.G. ~ 68!

 

 

This past Sunday was my dad's heavenly birthday, he was born in 1919 so he would have been 103 years old.

 

Because my mind was doing the math, I also calculated how old I was going to be LATER this year (don't rush it!); I will be 68, yes SIXTY-EIGHT YEARS OLD! Especially in today's world 68 is no longer considered over the hill. But I have NO idea what 68 is supposed to look like. You see my husband's parents, and mine, all died relatively early, between 55 and 61 years of age.

 

It's already mind-blowing that both of us have outlived all four parents, but I thought 68 was SUPPOSED to be OLD. True, my maternal grandmother lived well into her 80s, but she was a phenomenon. In the early 1960s, just before my pre-teen era, my grandma taught me HOW to do the Twist. And when I mean taught, she showed me by going all the way down to the floor and back up again… WITHOUT ASSISTANCE! As for me, she had plenty of chuckles when I fell completely on my derriere!!!! So, this lady, in her mid-60s, had more flexibility than I do at (now) 67 and I try to pick up something I've dropped.

 

If someone were to ask me HOW OLD I FEEL, I would never say in my late 60s. Aside from nagging arthritis and some backaches, I would honestly have to say something like 55. I would admit to being a senior without a doubt, I certainly cannot do some of the things I did in my 30s or even 40s —besides I like to make use of Senior Discounts. Aside from my amazing grandmother, I thought 68 was OLD, and I don't feel that old (most days at least).

 

My husband and I were born into the Baby Boomer Generation. Our kids were born as Millennials.  People there are already TWO age groups past my kids, Generation Z and Generation Alpha! That means FOUR generations past me!!!!! I AM NOT OLD! I don't want to be THAT "cute old lady" my kids introduce to their friends. (Besides we have cats, so I am already that "Crazy Cat Lady")

• The Silent Generation: Born 1928-1945 (76-93 years old)
• Baby Boomers: Born 1946-1964 (57-75 years old)
• Generation X: Born 1965-1980 (41-56 years old)
• Millennials: Born 1981-1996 (25-40 years old)
• Generation Z: Born 1997-2012 (9-24 years old)
• Generation Alpha: Born 2010-2025 (0-11 years old)
                 (according to the PEW Research Center)

The Corporate Finance Institute (CFI) lists some of the common characteristics of the average Baby Boomer… hmm, how accurate is this? Hardworking and Focused??? Personally, I prefer lazy and, as a fiction writer, my mind does tend to wander. Competitive??? I guess I am, I will fight for that last parking spot at the shopping center. Value Relationships??? Definitely, I do. Independent??? I can handle things myself, so long as it's not automotive or electrical. Pursue Excellence and Quality??? So long as I can get a bargain while doing so.

 

CFI cautions marketing campaigns NOT to use the words OLD or ELDERLY because "baby boomers do not consider themselves old, nor do they feel old"…

 

Well, I guess they got that right! So come right on in 68!

 

I Waited Long Enough to Be An Adult! ~ #MondayBlogs

There are obviously people who believe they can dictate what appropriate ages are for women to stop doing certain things! Popular talk show “The Talk” hosts discussed one such list the other day commenting that, according to the author, women should not be on FaceBook, take selfies, wear skinny jeans, etc., by specific ages. One published list by U.K.’s Daily Mail columnist William Hanson includes texting, having long hair, wearing leggings, using hair products, being in a bikini, visiting a nightclub and staying out past midnight.

While I admit there are some women who should never wear a bikini (I readily admit to being one of those), how is there an “age” where it is or is not permitted? Oh, excuse me, Mr. Hanson states that doing some of these activities past specific ages “becomes embarrassing”. Personally my feeling — who the heck is Mr. Hanson to tell me what I can or cannot do at my age? I think he’s a bit stuffy and dictatorial.

Yes, we should all use common sense, look at ourselves in a mirror (honestly) and perhaps ask a trusted friend how we look but if a woman has a nicely toned bod, why shouldn’t she wear skinny jeans if she feels comfortable in them? As for using FaceBook, the most common age demographic is 25 to 34 (about 29%) for both male and female, but there are more than six-hundred-thousand LIKES on the Woman After 50 FaceBook page.

Posting a selfie now and then provides an opportunity for some to make a statement about themselves, kind of this is who I am. Posting a selfie showing us doing something we are proud of like a sport, a charitable event, with friends, or showing kindness to our pets, can help give us an ego boost similar to patting our own backs. Is there an age where we are no longer entitled or in need of boosting our self-value. And texting, so long as it is not done incessantly and certainly not while driving, is a quick and harmless form of communication in a very busy world.

Surprisingly not all of these “Do not do, do not wear, do not have fun” articles are written by men or I would have automatically assumed there was some of that controlling misogamy going on, although maybe there is… you know the kind of people who rate women as a 2, 6, or 10. And there are even a FEW articles limiting what a man of a certain age should not be allowed to do, however the ones I read deal more with behavior than with appearance (hmmm, a bit of double standard?).

I figure at my age I really am not as worried about what others think of me; I worry what I think of me. In my 60s my priorities are my family, my pets, my home, my career, myself and most importantly enjoying every day that I wake up breathing. On FaceBook, yes I am guilty of participating in social media, there are several humorous memes saying things like Act how you want and blame it on a senior moment. Amusing but still a valid piece of advice.

I did find a few NICE lists telling us what women shouldn’t do after specific ages, one such article is The 3 Things Middle-Aged Women Need To Stop Doing When Speaking In Public and includes the following advice: 1. Stop apologizing for your lack of technological skills or social media skills; 2. Stop apologizing for the way you look; and 3. Stop comparing your place in your path to someone else’s place on their path. Another positive article 24 Things Women Over 30 Should Wear offers one repeated and welcome piece of advice in response to that question: Whatever the f#*% they want.

In my opinion I’ve been doing that ADULT thing for a while now, I am entitled to LIVE even if it might be embarrassing to the critical Mr. Hanson.

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