On Age and Aging
I have been feeling very melancholy lately. I was talking to my husband tonight about the way we used to turn heads when we dressed up and went out for the evening. Picture a curvy, blue-eyed blonde and her escort with burnished brown hair, bedroom eyes, luscious lips and a military physique. True romance novel figures. :) I was saying that it was too bad that our children were too young to remember us looking like that. They have seen pictures but it isn't the same. I guess I just wanted to revisit my youth. I am not sure what brought this on. Children probably don't want to think of their parents in this light either. Yucky stuff they used to say. I loved the yucky stuff...still do.
Isn't it strange that although I am 66 I still feel 18 in my head, in spite of the fact that I am aware that I cannot do the things that age group can. My daughter and I had this conversation just the other night and she pointed out that she wouldn't be born if I was only 18. I find it really difficult to think of myself as old as I really am. I can't imagine that my husband is that age either so I have a tendency to expect him to act like he is a young man and do work that he should not be doing.
I guess there must come a time when you feel and act your age. I don't know. I have been fortunate that for the past twenty years or so people have always said I looked much younger than I am. That has been quite a compliment and the reverse from when I was 18 or so. Then everyone thought I was older than my age. I would think any woman would be happy to hear these things. It used to "make my day". :)
Edward Henry Bickersteth, Bishop of Exeter (1825-1906) said of Age:
Isn't it strange that although I am 66 I still feel 18 in my head, in spite of the fact that I am aware that I cannot do the things that age group can. My daughter and I had this conversation just the other night and she pointed out that she wouldn't be born if I was only 18. I find it really difficult to think of myself as old as I really am. I can't imagine that my husband is that age either so I have a tendency to expect him to act like he is a young man and do work that he should not be doing.
I guess there must come a time when you feel and act your age. I don't know. I have been fortunate that for the past twenty years or so people have always said I looked much younger than I am. That has been quite a compliment and the reverse from when I was 18 or so. Then everyone thought I was older than my age. I would think any woman would be happy to hear these things. It used to "make my day". :)
Edward Henry Bickersteth, Bishop of Exeter (1825-1906) said of Age:
"Our years are like the shadows
The sunny hills that lie,
Or grasses in the meadows
That blossom but to die;
A sleep, a dream, a story
By strangers quickly told
An unremaining glory
Of things that soon are old."
The sunny hills that lie,
Or grasses in the meadows
That blossom but to die;
A sleep, a dream, a story
By strangers quickly told
An unremaining glory
Of things that soon are old."
That pretty well says it all, doesn't it?
posted by Scope Dope Cherrybomb at 9:26 PM
7 Comments:
I remember when you and Dad got all dressed up to go out dancing with Grandma and Grandpa. sheesh. they were younger than I am now. Shoot me :-) I think it's good that you don't think of yourself as old.
You're in this mood because Michael just turned 17. 17!!! how the hell did that happen? Even my horrible math skills know that if you're 18, yo can't possibly have a grandson who is only a year younger than you.
Here's another quote I like a about aging, and its apropos:
How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?
--Satchel Paige
You're only as old as you act, I say. So I'll be 17 forever.
I'm with Me.
I have /never/ looked my age, and I eventually got tired of people staring at me, saying "...No!," then staring some more. Enough already.
The heck with that. I have a new plan: I'm going to lie about my age. I'm going to keep telling people that I'm 27 for as long as they believe it. When they stop believing that, I'll move on to 32. I think I can swing it. My mother is regularly mistaken for mid-sixties, which is pretty good when you're 82.
Scope? You look about... oh, I don't know... Mary narrows her eyes speculatively I'd say 42. That's always a good number.
(Sheryl, this does mean you'll have to lie about your age too. You okay with that?)
I've been hovering at about 34 for years now. (Uh... let me think... it would be about 7(?) years now?) I'm pretty sure I'm going to stay in my 30's forever. :-)
Oh... Penny... was it you I promised the Spalding link to? Here it is, just in case... if not, well ignore this bit. LOL
http://www.visitdunkeld.50megs.com/spaldings-ashintully.htm
Hope that works...
Hugs,
Cath :-)
Rats. It didn't convert the html to a link. You'll need to copy and paste I guess.
Sorry 'bout that. :-)
Cath :-)
Scope! CMS just shared the news that some pesky infections have sneaked up on you. What a bummer - feel better soon! (((HUGS)))
Feel better soon! We need to see you in Dayton!
Post a Comment
<< Home